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Cookbook for MBSE with SysML
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Table of Contents
I. MBSE in Telescope Modelling ................................................................................................. 5
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 6
2. Project Description ......................................................................................................... 7
3. MBSE Challenge Goals .................................................................................................. 8
4. Model Structure and Overview ........................................................................................ 9
5. APE Model Structure Pattern ........................................................................................ 10
5.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 10
5.2. Overview Diagrams ........................................................................................... 10
5.3. Aspects ............................................................................................................. 12
5.4. Objectives and Requirements ............................................................................. 12
5.5. Context ............................................................................................................. 14
5.6. System Structure ............................................................................................... 16
5.7. Behavior ............................................................................................................ 17
5.8. Data .................................................................................................................. 18
5.9. Verification ........................................................................................................ 20
6. Model Library and Systems-Engineering Profile .............................................................. 21
7. Modeling Challenges .................................................................................................... 22
7.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 22
7.2. Notation: Connection of Nested Blocks ............................................................... 22
7.3. Model ................................................................................................................ 23
7.4. Tool .................................................................................................................. 23
7.5. Methodology ...................................................................................................... 23
7.6. Configuration and Quality Control ....................................................................... 24
8. Experiences from a New Project - E-ELT Telescope Control System ............................... 25
9. Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 28
10. References ................................................................................................................. 29
II. Recipes and best Practices .................................................................................................. 30
11. Tool support ............................................................................................................... 31
11.1. Templates for Model Structure .......................................................................... 31
SE2 Challenge
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Part I. MBSE in Telescope Modelling
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Chapter 1. Introduction
In the framework of INCOSE's strategic initiative, the Systems Engineering Vision 2020, one of
the main areas of focus is model-based systems engineering. In keeping with this emphasis, the
European Southern Observatory (ESO; http://www.eso.org/ [ http://www.eso.org/]) is collaborating with
the German Chapter of INCOSE (http://www.gfse.de/) in the form of an "MBSE Challenge" team. The
team's task is to demonstrate solutions to challenging problems using MBSE. The Active Phasing
Experiment (APE; see Gonte et al. 2004), a European Union Framework Program 6 project, was chosen
as the subject of the SE^2 Challenge Team (http://mbse.gfse.de/). Many technical products in the
telescope domain show an increasing integration of mechanics with electronics, information processing,
and also optics, and can therefore be rightly considered as optomechatronic systems.
This article presents the results of model-based systems engineering using the Systems Modeling
Language (SysML; see Ogren 2000), drawing on experiences within the MBSE Challenge project and
also the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) project. For the former project, SysML models
were created by reverse engineering from existing documentation and from interviews with systems
engineers, whereas for the latter project, the practices were applied to a new system. We will make use of
Ingmar Ogren's concept of a common project model (Ogren 2000) to establish a common understanding
of the system.
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Chapter 2. Project Description
Our system case study is the Active Phasing Experiment technology demonstrator for the future
European Extremely Large Telescope, which is a high-tech, interdisciplinary optomechatronic system
in operation at the Paranal observatory (see ESO 2009). The next generation of telescopes needs
to collect significantly more light than older models, therefore requiring bigger reflecting surfaces that
consist of many individual mirror segments. Due to different disturbances (such as vibrations, wind, and
gravity), the segments must be actively controlled to get a continuous mirror surface with a phasing error
of only a few nanometers over the main mirror's diameter of 42 m. The main challenge is to correctly
detect the positioning errors of the segments via specific phasing sensors in order to create a continuous
mirror surface.
APE was developed to evaluate those sensors, and was installed on one of the 8 m telescopes that
constitutes part of the Very Large Telescope in Chile (VLT) for sky tests. APE can be seen as the black
box in Figure 2.1, “Active Phasing Experiment at the Very Large Telescope” . For the installation it had
to comply with various mechanical, electrical, optical, and software interfaces. APE consists of about
two hundred sensors and actuators such as wheels, translation stages, lenses, detectors, mirrors, light
sources, an interferometer, and twelve computing nodes for control. Since APE had to be deployed in
the test lab and in an already existing telescope, for each context it was necessary to model variants
of function, interfaces, and structure. All of these characteristics made APE well suited to evaluate the
potential of SysML in tackling similar issues.
Figure 2.1. Active Phasing Experiment at the Very Large Telescope
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Chapter 3. MBSE Challenge Goals
SysML is only a graphical language and defines a set of diagrammatics, modeling elements, a formal
syntax, and semantics. Like any language (formal or informal), it can be used in many different ways,
including many wrong ways. Most notably, it is possible by misusing the language to create incorrect
models. The main goals of the SE^2 MBSE Challenge Team are to
• create modeling guidelines and conventions for all system aspects, hierarchy levels, and views;
• provide examples in SysML, solving common modeling problems;
• build a comprehensive model, which serves as the basis for providing different views to different
engineering aspects and subsequent activities; and to
• demonstrate that SysML is an effective means to support systems engineering.
The SE^2 team has provided their guidelines for modeling on the "frequently asked questions" page
of their Web site (http://mbse.gfse.de/documents/faq.html). A SysML model, as described in the next
section, illustrates the results of their comprehensive modeling. The SysML model is not merely a mental
abstraction, but a collection of complex data structures that can be edited, augmented, queried, and
reported on by means of a suitable tool, which is an indispensible pillar for MBSE.