Connecting Views in Mechatronic Systems Design, a Function Modeling Approach

This paper discusses problems in complex mechatronic system design observed in an industrial setting. In the process of adding functionality to mechatronic systems it is important to manage complexity. It is observed that an important aspect in managing complexity is keeping a systemwide overview and understanding among system architects and engineers. A function modeling approach is proposed to connect different design aspect views (e.g. functional view, workflow view, requirements view) on different levels of abstraction to support the architects in the conceptual design process. The overview will improve system understanding.