System Architecture Modeling for Electronic Systems Using MathWorks System Composer and Simulink

Electronic system architectures have traditionally been documented as static block diagrams in tools such as Microsoft (R) Visio (R) or through a richer modeling approach such as Systems Modeling Language (SysML). These approaches did not fully meet the modeling needs for the Gulfstream authors, which led to an alternative approach. This paper introduces the Electronic System Architecture Modeling (eSAM) method, which leverages a new system architecture modeling tool called System Composer (TM). eSAM was created by the authors to define a standard method for applying the generic System Composer modeling constructs to build functional, physical, and logical architecture models of electronic systems. The eSAM methods are applied to an example avionics architecture to demonstrate capabilities needed for system modeling, collaborative OEM-supplier workflows, data management and ICD generation, systems integration activities, generation of system architecture deliverables for the avionics certification standards governed by SAE ARP4754A, and a Model-Based Design approach that connects a software function to its system-level ICD. System Composer is built on MATLAB (R) and Simulink (R) and leverages the modeling, analysis, and simulation capabilities of these well-established tools. System Composer adds additional capabilities for modeling integration between systems, filtering large models into manageable views, capturing important system and component properties, allocating between different descriptive architecture models, directly connecting system architecture models to software functional models, and flowing data down into specialized design tools. This paper summarizes desirable features in system architecture modeling tools, introduces the features and concepts of System Composer and describes application of the eSAM method.