Appendix E — Arena Operators, Functions, Distributions, and Modules
E.1 Arena Mathematical and Logical Operators
| Operator | Operation | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Math Operators | ||
| \(\ast\ast\) | Exponentiation | 1(highest) |
| \(/\) | Division | 2 |
| \(\ast\) | Multiplication | 2 |
| - | Subtraction | 3 |
| + | Addition | 3 |
| Logical Operators | ||
| .EQ., == | Equality comparison | 4 |
| .NE.,\(<>\) | Non-equality comparison | 4 |
| .LT.,\(<\) | Less than comparison | 4 |
| .GT.,\(>\) | Greater than comparison | 4 |
| .LT.,\(<=\) | Less than or equal to comparison | 4 |
| .GE.,\(>=\) | Greater than or equal to comparison | 4 |
| .AND.,&& | Conjunction (and) | 5 |
| .OR.,\(\|\) | Inclusive disjunction (or) | 5 |
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| ABS(a) | Absolute value |
| ACOS(a) | Arc cosine |
| AINT(a) | Truncate |
| AMOD(a1, a2) | Real remainder, returns(a1-(AINT(\(\frac{a1}{a2}\))\(\times\)a2)) |
| ANINT(a) | Round to nearest integer |
| ASIN(a) | Arc sine |
| ATAN(a) | Arc tangent |
| COS(a) | Cosine |
| EP(a) | Exponential(\(e^a\)) |
| HCOS(a) | Hyperbolic cosine |
| HSIN(a) | Hyperbolic sine |
| HTAN(a) | Hyperbolic tangent |
| MN(a1, a2, \(\ldots\)) | Minimum value |
| MOD(a1,a2) | same as AMOD(AINT(a1), AINT(a2)) |
| MX(a1, a2, \(\ldots\)) | Maximum value |
| LN(a) | Natural logarithm |
| LOG(a) | Common logarithm |
| SIN(a) | Sine |
| SQRT(a) | Square root |
| TAN(a) | Tangent |
E.2 Arena Probability Distributions Functions
| Beta | BETA(Alpha, Alpha2[,Stream]) |
| Normal | NORM(Mean,SD[,Stream]) |
| Empirical Continuous | CONT(Prob1,Value1,Prob2,Value2,\(\ldots\)[,Stream]) |
| NSExpo | Non-homogeneous Poisson process |
| Empirical Discrete | DISC(Prob1,Value1,Prob2,Value2,\(\ldots\)[,Stream]) |
| Poisson | POIS(Mean[,Stream]) |
| K-Erlang | ERLA(Mean,k[,Stream]) |
| Lognormal | LOGN(LogMean,LogStd[,Stream]) |
| Uniform(0,1) | RA |
| Exponential | EXPO(Mean[,Stream]) |
| Triangular | TRIA(Min,Mode,Max[,Stream]) |
| Gamma | GAMM(scale,shape[,Stream]) |
| Uniform | UNIF(Min,Max[,Stream]) |
| Johnson | JOHN(shape1,shape2,scale,location[,Stream]) |
| Weibull | WEIB(scale,shape[,Stream]) |
E.3 Basic Process Panel Modules
| CREATE | Used to create and introduce entities into the model according to a pattern. |
| DISPOSE | Used to dispose of entities once they have completed their activities within the model. |
| PROCESS | Used to allow an entity to experience an activity with the possible use of a resource. |
| ASSIGN | Used to make assignments to variables and attributes within the model |
| RECORD | Used to capture and tabulate statistics within the model. |
| BATCH | Used to combine entities into a permanent or temporary representative entity. |
| SEPARATE | Used to create duplicates of an existing entity or to split a batched group of entities. |
| DECIDE | Used to provide alternative flow paths for an entity based on probabilistic or condition based branching. |
| VARIABLE | Used to define variables for use within the model. |
| RESOURCE | Used to define a quantity of units of a resource that can be seized and released by entities. |
| QUEUE | Used to define a waiting line for entities whose flow is currently stopped within the model. |
| ENTITY | Used to define different entity types for use within the model. |
| SET | Used to define a list of elements within Arena that can be indexed by the location in the list. |
| SCHEDULE | Used to define a staffing schedule for resources or a time-based arrival pattern. |
E.4 Advanced Process Panel Modules
| SEIZE | Allows an entity to request a number of units of a resource. If the units are not available, the entity waits in a queue. |
| DELAY | Allows an entity to experience a delay in movement via the scheduling of an event. |
| RELEASE | Releases the units of a resource seized by an entity. |
| MATCH | Allows entities to wait in queues until a user specified matching criteria occurs. |
| HOLD | Holds entities in a queue until a signal is given or until a condition in the model is met. |
| SIGNAL | Signals entities in a HOLD queue to proceed. |
| PICKUP | Allows an entity to pick up and place other entities into a group associated with the entity. |
| DROPOFF | Allows an entity to drop off entities from its entity group. |
| SEARCH | Allows an entity to search a queue for entities that match search criteria. |
| REMOVE | Allows an entity to remove other entities directly from a queue. |
| STORE | Indicates that the entity is in a STORAGE |
| UNSTORE | Indicates that the entity is no longer in a STORAGE |
| ADJUST VARIABLE | Adjusts a variable to a target value at a specified rate. |
| READWRITE | Allows input and output to occur within the model. |
| FILE | Defines the characteristics of the operating system file used within a READWRITE module. |
| EXPRESSION | Allows the user to define named logical/mathematical expressions that can be used throughout the model. |
| STORAGE | Demarks a location/concept that may contain entities. |
| ADVANCED SET | Used to define a list of elements within Arena that can be indexed by the location in the list. |
| FAILURE | Used to define unscheduled capacity changes for resources according to a time pattern or a usage indicator. |
| STATISTIC | Used to define and manage time-based, observation based, and replication statistics. |
E.5 Advanced Transfer Panel Modules
| STATION | Allows the marking in the model for a location to which entities can be directed for processing. |
| ROUTE | Facilitates the movement between stations with a time delay. |
| ENTER | Represents STATION, DELAY, and/or EXIT/FREE |
| LEAVE | Represents ROUTE or TRANSPORT or CONVEY with DELAY option |
| PICKSTATION | Allows entity to decide on its next station based on conditions. |
| ACCESS | Requests space on a conveyor. Entity waits if no space is available. |
| CONVEY | After obtaining space on a conveyor, causes the entity to be conveyed to its destination station. |
| EXIT | Releases space on a conveyor |
| START | Causes a stopped conveyor to start transferring entities. |
| STOP | Causes a conveyor to stop transferring entities. |
| ALLOCATE | Assigns entity a transporter without moving the transporter, entity controls transporter and may wait in queue. |
| MOVE | Moves an allocated transporter to a station destination. |
| REQUEST | Asks transporter for pick up, entity waits until transporter is allocated, and transporter moves to pick up location. |
| TRANSPORT | Same as REQUEST followed by MOVE to the entities desired location. |
| FREE | Causes the entity to release an allocated transporter. |
| HALT | Changes the state of the transporter to inactive. |
| ACTIVATE | Changes the state of the transporter to active. |
| SEQUENCE | Allows pre-specified routes of stations to be defined and attributes to be assigned when entities are transferred. |
| CONVEYOR | Defines a conveyor as a list of segments and provides the velocity and space characteristics of the conveyor. |
| SEGMENT | Defines the distance between two stations as a segment on a conveyor. |
| TRANSPORTER | Defines a mobile resource and its characteristics, capable of free path or guided path movement. |
| DISTANCE | Defines the from-to distances between stations for free path transporters. |
| NETWORK | Defines a set of transporter links between intersections that represents a guided path network for transporters. |
| NETWORKLINK | Defines the characteristics of a space constraining path between intersections within guided path networks. |
| ACTIVITY AREA | Defines stations that are part of an area for the collection of aggregate statistics on the group of stations. |
E.6 Important SIMAN Blocks, Elements, and Pre-Defined Attributes and Variables
| IF-ELSEIF-ELSE-ENDIF | (Blocks panel) Allows standard logic based flow of control. |
| WHILE-ENDWHILE | (Blocks panel) Allows for iterative looping. |
| BRANCH | (Blocks panel) Allows probabilistic and condition based path determination and cloning of entities. |
| TNOW | The current simulation time. |
| NREP | Current replication number. |
| MREP | Maximum number of replications. |
| J | Index in SEARCH module |
| NQ(queue name) | Number of entities in the named queue. |
| MR(resource name) | The current capacity of the named resource |
| NR(resource name) | The current number of busy units of the named resource |
| Entity.SerialNumber | A number assigned to an entity upon creation. Duplicates will have this same number. |
| Enity.Jobstep | The entity’s current position in its squence. |
| Entity.Sequence | The entity’s sequence when using a transfer option. |
| Entity.Station | The entity’s location or destination. |
| Entity.CurrentStation | The entity’s location. |
| Enity.CreateTime | The value of TNOW when the entity was created. |
| IDENT | A unique number assigned to an entity while in the model. No entities have the same IDENT number. |