Abstract
Keywords Model based design, architecture, tools, system design, multidisciplinary design.
Abstract EE Architecture design is an important issue for future automotive systems, with increased functionality defined by software and electronics. More and more of the complete vehicle functionality is attributed to the EE system. The design of the on-board network and choice of related components has an increasing leverage on costs and efficient design will improve the capability to build cost-efficient systems.
The design of automotive systems is an integrated effort of various disciplines, where many system qualities are a result of parallel design decisions. Reaching a satisfactory design solution for all required qualities is a challenging task for these complex products. The multidisciplinary and concurrent development environment makes this task more difficult. For this reason, a more integrated modelling and design approach becomes necessary for successful and efficient communication of ideas and decisions within and between design teams.
In this paper, we present experiences from a case study concerning model-based EE architecture design. Based on this study, a set of solution mechanisms are suggested that aim to handle the challenges of the automotive context. To assess these mechanisms, an early prototype tool for system-level model-based design was developed and compared to a simple case specific in-house tool. A simple tool can give good results in an isolated case, but a more extended tool can be integrated in a seamless tool chain and reused. Complex multi-view tools have some drawbacks, but they are more easily reused. The framework provided shows some of the benefits and problems of different tool approaches.
Commercial and academic tools for the purpose of system design exist, but in the end, the great difficulties lie in the introduction of new methodology in an existing organisation with an existing design process. It is necessary for any new concept, no matter how beneficial and revolutionary its results are, to be introduced in an evolutionary matter. The method to base design decisions on measurable keyfigures is an important first step towards model-based system design and integration.