Applying MBSE to the Industrial IoT: Using SysML with Connext DDS and Simulink
The benefits of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML are well established. As a result, users want to apply MBSE to larger and more complex Industrial IoT applications.
Industrial IoT applications can be very challenging: They are distributed. They deploy components across nodes spanning from small Devices to Edge computers to the Cloud. They often need mathematically-complex software. Moreover, they have strict requirements in terms of performance, robustness, and security.
SysML can model requirements, system components, behavior, interactions, and more. However, SysML does not provide a robust way to connect components running across different computers, especially when the security and quality of service of individual data-flows matter. SysML also does not provide all the tools needed to model and generate the (mathematical) code for complex dynamic systems.
A new “DDS + Simulink” MagicDraw SysML plugin has been developed to addresses these needs. It brings to MagicDraw users the capabilities of Connext DDS from RTI and Simulink from Mathworks:
The OMG Data-Distribution Service (DDS) is a secure and Qos-aware connectivity “databus”. DDS is considered the core connectivity framework for Software Integration and Autonomy by the Industrial Internet Consortium. Connext DDS is the leading implementation of the DDS standard, proven in 1000s of critical deployments.
Simulink is a tool for modeling and implementing the code needed for complex dynamic systems. It is widely deployed in many application domains including Automotive, Robotics, and Control Systems.
The new MagicDraw plugin defines a “DDS profile” for SysML that can model a distributed application connected using the DDS databus. The plugin can also generate the artifacts that configure the DDS databus (Topics, Data Types, Qos, etc.) and the adapters to Simulink and native code (e.g. C++ or Java).
By integrating three best-of class technologies: SysML, DDS and Simulink it is now possible to do MBSE for a wide range of Industrial IoT applications.