A SysML Formal Framework to Combine Discrete and Continuous Simulation for Testing

• Published in: Formal Methods and Software Engineering Vol. 9407; pp. 134 - 152
• Main Authors: Gauthier, Jean-Marie, Bouquet, Fabrice, Hammad, Ahmed, Peureux, Fabien
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Springer International Publishing AG 2015; Springer International Publishing
• Series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science
• Subjects: Computer programming / software development; Constraint solving; Discrete & continuous simulation; Model-based testing; Model-driven engineering; Modelica; Programming & scripting languages: general; Real-time system; Software Engineering; SysML
• ISBN: 3319254227; 9783319254227
• ISSN: 0302-9743; 1611-3349
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-25423-4_9

The increasing interactions between huge amount of software and hardware subsystem (hydraulics, mechanics, electronics, etc.) lead to a new kind of complexity that is difficult to manage during the validation of safety-critical and complex embedded systems. This paper introduces a formal SysML-based framework to combine both discrete and continuous simulation to validate physical systems at the early stage of development. This original modelling framework takes as input a SysML model annotated with Modelica code and OCL constraints. Such a model provides a precise and unambiguous description of the designed system and its environment, involving both discrete and continuous features. This formal framework enables to automatically generate Modelica code to perform real-time simulation. On the basis of a constraint system derived from the discrete SysML/OCL modelling artefacts, it also makes it possible to automatically generate black-box test cases that can be used to validate the simulated system as well as the corresponding physical device. This framework has been validated by conclusive experiments conducted to prototype a new energy manager system for aeronautics.