Rockwell Automation Arena Users Guide - Manual (Page 19)

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2. Drag a Dispose module to the right of the Decide module. Arena will connect it to the
primary (True) exit point of the Decide module. (We won’t include a graphic display
since you’re now familiar with the drag-and-drop sequence.)
3. To add the second Dispose module, once again select the Decide module, so that
Arena will automatically connect its False exit point to the new Dispose module, and
drag another Dispose module below and to the right of the Decide module.
4. Drag and drop another Dispose module, placing it below and to the right of the Decide
shape, completing the process flowchart.
What is a module?
In Arena, modules are the flowchart and data objects that define the process to be
simulated. All information required to simulate a process is stored in modules.
For now, we’re working with flowchart modules—those that are placed in the model
window to describe the process. In the Basic Process panel, these are the first eight
shapes:
„
Create: The start of process flow. Entities enter the simulation here.
„
Dispose: The end of process flow. Entities are removed from the simulation here.
„
Process: An activity, usually performed by one or more resources and requiring some
time to complete.
„
Decide: A branch in process flow. Only one branch is taken.
„
Batch: Collect a number of entities before they can continue processing.
„
Separate: Duplicate entities for concurrent or parallel processing, or separating a
previously established batch of entities.
„
Assign: Change the value of some parameter (during the simulation), such as the
entity’s type or a model variable.
„
Record: Collect a statistic, such as an entity count or cycle time.
Simulation settings are defined in the Run > Setup > Replication Parameters dialog
box. There is also a set of data modules for defining the characteristics of various process
elements, such as resources and queues.
Entity flow always
begins with a Create
module and termi-
nates with a Dispose
module. You may
have as many of each
of these modules as
you need to generate
entities into the model
and to remove them
when their process-
ing is complete.