GI.bench architecture
      Back to home
      1. GI.knowledgebase
      2. Data Acquisition Software
      3. GI.bench architecture

      What is GI.bench?

      Introduction to the different software components that make up the GI.bench Data Acquisition Software

      GI.bench is a software package provided by Gantner Instruments. It consists of multiple software components, which handle different tasks. GI.bench comes with a graphical user interface called GI.bench UI for:
      • Quick and easy setup of multi-channel DAQ systems
      • Configure multi-frequency data loggers
      • Create and share engaging dashboards

      Each component comes with an application programming interface (API) for third-party integration:

      Overview of GI.bench structure

      Running processes

      After launching GI.bench, the following components are running (or can be started as needed) in their own process:

      • GI.service: base application, connecting all parts together.
      • GI.bench UI: graphical user interface.
      • GI.config: background process including all the configuration logic.
      • GI.com: background process responsible for device communication.
      • GI.data: background process for data management.
      • GI.TwincatFoE (started as needed)
      • GI.apps
      • GI.system
      • GI.monitor (started as needed)

      GI.bench processes overview


      GI.service is the base application of GI.bench, which provides general control of the different components. It comes with a simple user interface that is accessible from the system tray.

      The key concept is to get the most intelligence (often called business logic) out of the graphical user interface and put it into an independent piece of software that can easily be integrated into an overlaying GUI software using standard interfaces (REST API, XML-RPC, …).

      The advantages are:

      • The main components containing configuration logic/intelligence are neither bound to platform-specific components nor a graphical interface.
      • The XML-RPC-based interface decouples system components as much as possible.
      • No limiting pre-compiled library but automatically generated source code is available for the XML-RPC interface.

      i2

      GI.bench components

      GI.bench UI

      GI.service

      GI.service is the platform-independent base application of GI.bench. Its main tasks are:

      • Starts all other software components (GI.bench UI, GI.config, GI.com, GI.data).
      • Creates XML-RPC routes to all other software components as well as to connected devices (controllers).
      • Contains a minimal GUI for global settings (system tray).
      • Provides different APIs (XML-RPC, REST,…) as a central connection node to the GI.bench UI or third-party software.
      • Web server.

      For more information see GI.service.

      GI.config

      GI.config is the platform-independent configuration application of GI.bench. Its main tasks are:

      • Abstraction interface between filesystem stored configuration files (*.gcf, *.ini, …) and GI.bench touchable XML-RPC APIs.
      • Enables access of a full property structure element, down to a single item of property structure element using the same function (e.g. accessing full variable versus variables unit-factor).
      • Simple configuration, due to selection variants and limits is also delivered over the interface.
      • Includes all configuration rules and checks, for a system-wide valid configuration.

      For more information see GI.config

      GI.com

      See GI.com.

      GI.data

      -

      GI.monitor