SysML Extension for Dynamical System Simulation Tools

Abstract

Computer-interpretable representations of system structure and behavior are at the center of designing today’s complex systems. Engineers create and review such representations using graphical modeling languages that support specification, analysis, design, verification and validation of systems that include hardware, software, data, personnel, procedures, and facilities, in particular the Systems Modeling Language (SysML), an extension of the Unified Modeling Language. However, SysML’s constructs are insufficient to capture all details necessary for dynamic (solver-based) simulation and must be enhanced with domain specific tools for this purpose. SysML modeling tools and simulation tools are often used separately and sequentially, which reduces the efficiency of the engineering process. As a result, there is an increasing need for integrating modeling constructs specific to simulation tools into SysML. In this report, we first analyze if SysML possesses constructs that match the constructs used in simulation tools. We conclude that such constructs exist only partially and propose extensions of SysML to accommodate modeling dynamical systems. In addition, we show through an example, how the newly proposed extensions can be used to model an electrical circuit in SysML.