A Model-Based Systems Engineering Approach for Developing Modular System Architectures
Open AccessModular system architectures are increasingly important to manufacturers as they seek to decrease system development lead time and as customers have come to expect systems that allow for frequent modular upgrades. There has been considerable research into how to design modules within a system architecture and how to assess the modularity of systems. However, with these established approaches, the modularity assessment is a stand-alone, post-architecting analysis. This research demonstrates how, using model-based systems engineering, the design of modules and the assessment of the modularity of a system architecture can be incorporated into an integrated system architecting process. To facilitate this, a modularity ontology was developed to guide the semantics and syntax of extensions to the Systems Modeling Language. Model metadata from behavioral, structural, and state-based system elements was directly assessed using Design Structure Matrix-based analysis. Elements in the architecture were automatically assigned to modules, and the system’s modularity was assessed. The approach allows for the system architect to also consider non-functional characteristics in the formation of modules. The architecting and the modularity analysis of the system were completed in a single environment, using Systems Modeling Language parametric diagrams as the catalyst, allowing for a more holistic and complete understanding of the system and its modularity.
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Stirgwolt_gwu_0075A_15924.pdf | 2022-04-25 | Open Access |
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