Two-port cable connector

A simple two-port connector with 3 degrees of freedom for joining the ends of cables to make loops.

Collaboration diagram for Two-port cable connector:

Author

Brad Schofield

Date

2011.07.19 BS: Initial version.

Todo:

Complete documentation of conf. params and check example file.

Example configuration excerpt

<Lib
   LibName   = "marine_elements"
   SimObject = "RbCable/CableConnector"
   Name      = "CONN"
   Mass      = "50"
    Length    = "0.1,0.0,0.0"
    Material  = "Simple/Black"
    Mesh      = "fhSphere.mesh"
    Scale     = "1.0"
/>

Input Ports

Name	Width	Description
ForceA	3	Position of end point A.
ForceB	3	Position of end point B.

Output Ports

Name	Width	Description
PosA	3	The force acting on end point A.
PosB	3	The force acting on end point B.
VelA	3	The velocity acting on end point B.
VelB	3	The velocity acting on end point B.

Configuration parameters

Conf. param. not related to visualization

Name	Width	Description
Mass	1	Mass of connector.
Length	1	Length of connector (Default: "0.1,0.0,0.0").

Conf. param. related to visualization

Name	Width	Description
Material	1	Material of connector (Default: simple/Black).
Mesh	1	Mesh of connector (Default: fhsphere.mesh)
Scale	1	(Default: 1.0)

Initial conditions

Name	Width	Description
Pos	3	Position of connectors center of mass.
Vel	3	Velocity of connector.

Full example file

<Contents>
   <OBJECTS>
      <Lib
         LibName   = "marine_elements"
         SimObject = "RbCable/CableConnector"
         Name      = "CONN"
         Mass      = "50"
         Length    = "0.1,0.0,0.0"
         Material  = "Simple/Black"
         Mesh      = "fhSphere.mesh"
         Scale     = "1.0"
      />
      
      <Lib
         LibName            = "marine_elements"
         SimObject          = "RbCable/6DofCable"
         Name               = "CAB"
         Length             = "20"
         numElements        = "7"
         Alpha              = "1"
         Beta               = "1"
         Epsilon            = "1e-6"
         Weight             = "200"
         Radius             = "0.01"
         Damping_Tangential = "0.01"
         Damping_Normal     = "1.2"
      />    
   </OBJECTS>
 
   <INTERCONNECTIONS>
      <Connection
         CONN.ForceA = "CAB.forceA"
         CONN.ForceB = "CAB.forceB"
        CAB.posA    = "CONN.PosA"
        CAB.posB    = "CONN.PosB"
        CAB.velA    = "CONN.VelA"
        CAB.velB    = "CONN.VelB"
      />
   </INTERCONNECTIONS>
 
   <INITIALIZATION>
      <InitialCondition
        CONN.Pos = "0,0,0"
        CONN.Vel = "0,0,0"
      />
   </INITIALIZATION>
 
   <INTEGRATION>
      <Engine
         IntegratorMethod           = "2"
         NumCores                   = "1"
         TOutput                    = "0, 1, 10"
         LogStates                  = "0"
         Stepsize                   = "1e-4"
         HMax                       = "100"
         HMin                       = "1e-6"
         AbsTol                     = "1e-7"
         RelTol                   = "1e-7"
         UseRSSNormInsteadOfInfNorm = "0"
         FileOutput                 = "objects:states"
      />
   </INTEGRATION>
</Contents>