Certification
Sample Exam Solutions for Review
Hi Nico,
let me add some more comments to gregoryj's reply also.
1. Data in consumer loop are in separate shift registers. As for me, it's better to keep all the application data in one cluster, in one shift register. Also, questionable if you can have there uninitialized shift registers. As it's not FGV, but application data, it's better to have default data in while starting application.
2. Timeout event in Event Structure does not do anything - so it's better to delete this event.
3. Usually, you don't need time delay in consumer loop, as it'll be triggered by enquing data. So if you need delay between states, use it inside of case structure, and not globally for while loop.
4. "Initialise" state better not to do as default state in state machine. Rather consider adding state "Idle", which will be empty, and set it to default. Because otherwise, when application for some reason will go to default state, it'll be reinitialized.
5. In "Load Sprinkler Data from CSV.vi" you don't handle case, when file does not exist. Application will drop an error, but you could handle it in custom way. But, not nesessary.
6. SubVI "Determine Skips.vi" has output named "Array". Better to give some meaningfull names to inputs/outputs. Plus, input of that subvi is called "... out". In this case, it could be "Sprinkler Data In", and "Sprinkler Data Out".
But overall, it looks nice!
I didn't check functionallity, b/c this is something what you can do by yourself completely, but if you'll work on style just a bit (try not to have bended wires), everything will be great.
Good luck with your CLD!
Sincerely, kosist90
If you have access to the VI Analyzer (and you should/will in the exam), you can use that to see the style and documentation points that you're likely to lose parts of. I don't know how the weighting works (but I think it might well be different per exam) but apparently the VIA is used as a marking tool to prevent excessive subjectivity.
The default settings (which are the ones apparently used) give requirements like "no more than 3 wire bends" and that any VI with error inputs should use a Case Structure - in your case, the VI which loads CSV data does not. 3 of your VIs are missing comments on the block diagram, which they need to have. It doesn't matter what they say - double click, hit any letter key, and click out of the box to get easy points.
You have collections of "Overlapping Controls", but I think this is due to the supplied controls, which you're not supposed to change. I don't know how this works with the marking - I left mine completely unchanged (as instructed, just in case) and hopefully the points I lost weren't heavily influenced by this - if at all. I managed 14/15 for Style but a comment did include "Controls overlapping on subVI front panels", which I think would hit you (and probably everyone else) here.
Your controls don't have documentation set either - this is included (not just the VIs) as far as I'm aware. Again, the text doesn't matter. Writing "Ctl" and copy-pasting into each control using Ctrl+I as a shortcut to bring up VI Properties (or in this case, control properties) will get you those ticked off quickly.
There's a threshold below which a certain number of the same error is ignored - I don't know what this is, or if it varies from exam to exam, but if you have 1 bent wire, probably you're OK. For some errors, the threshold might be 0.
I can answer definitively, LV OOP is allowed on the CLD. Only caution is make sure you can get functionality demonstrated on the front panel within the allowed time -- OOP can be "front loaded." I'll leave the review and judgement on your specific application to others. And good luck tomorrow!
I need to check the specifications again to give more specific comments, but one point to note is that your program runs at 100% CPU on a single core - there are no waits in the bottom loop and the Run state re-enqueues Run as fast as it can.
I think there might also be an issue with not resetting the water pressure, but again, I'll have to check the specifications to be sure. Maybe I'm misremembering (or misread it in the first place)
Hi eBuddy.
I'm writing after you've taken your test. I hope it went well. I was surprised at how much denser the actual exam problems were compared to the practice exams.
In addition to what the other folks posted in response to your request for evaluation, here are some things I noticed:
1. Nested Case structures. I seem to remember that the guideline was no more than one case within a case. This may cause a ding in style.
2. Setting values using property nodes. This is also a Style/Functionality issue. You may want to look at using the "Set Control Value by Index". It's a much lighter burden on execution time and resources.
3. Resource consumption. As noted by one of the other folks here, use some strategic waits ( about 10 - 20 mSec ) to unload your CPU burden. Running loops wide open are a real-world problem.
4. Also, to re-iterate what was stated by another poster here - Functionality is the key. You can have perfect documentation and perfect style and still bomb if you don't show essential performance.
Make sure that you get as much working as possible.
I really applaud you on using the LV OOP Design approach. It's very clean and easy to follow. Somebody else noted to you that it is heavily front loaded to set up ( I struggled with front loading during
my tests as I use the use Producer/Consumer structure). It is quite un-nerving how quickly 4 hours can pass while working on an unfamiliar application requirement.
Best of luck!
Mark Blair
