A major challenge of a System Engineering approach lies in its
ability to promote an efficient Process/Method/Tools environment
that leads to an efficient and accurate System Referential
Repository. The key factor is the definition of a centralized
system referential repository that is shared by the various
stakeholders involved in the success of industrial projects,
including customers, system architects, hardware and software
development suppliers, validation and safety teams.
This paper describes the development of a use case modeled with
the most appropriate tool-chain that fulfills the above System
Engineering expectations.
Based on standard documents (INCOSE Handbook, ARP4754) and on
experience achieved by the development of many System Engineering
projects, a methodological approach is defined. This approach
includes the complete process from textual requirements, to
operational description, to functional breakdown, to technical
architecture, and finally to certified software generated from
models.
An aerospace use case is selected that covers the main steps of
this System Engineering approach.
Based on an existing benchmark framework that includes
cartography of tools, criteria, test means and use cases of several
System Engineering tools, the SCADE® tool chain is selected because
it offers an appropriate solution for the approach. The main tool
that is used is SCADE System, which is suited for the System
Engineering steps of the approach, including operational and
functional analysis, architecture definition and allocation.
Several graphical views of the Use Case, including subsystem parts,
are developed for operations, functions, interfaces, components,
all using a subset of the SysML standard (IBDs and BDDs diagrams)
that is embedded into SCADE System.
The SCADE Suite tool, for control logic and algorithm design, is
also used for the modeling of some parts of the software behavior.
The consistency checks and traceability links applied to the
several layers of information embedded into the System Referential
Repository are provided by the SCADE tool-chain.
As demonstrated by the Use Case, SCADE System is tailored to the
main requirements of the System Engineering process. SCADE
System's graphical representation facilitates the communication
among all of the teams. A System Referential Repository is built
that is continuously used and enriched by all of the project
stakeholders in the course of the development.
Next step consists of improving some other System Engineering
key tasks, such as modeling and simulation of a sequence of
operations and functions, discrete modeling and simulation
(state/event/transition) for the behavior of functions, continuous
modeling and simulation for the behavior of the component of the
product architecture, and support for the safety analysis based on
FMEA generated from model.