Rapid prototyping using object-oriented modeling and testbed simulation for complex real-time systems

A simulation testbed architecture which is particularly amenable to rapid-prototyping applications is described. It comprises a three-tier modular hybrid simulator made up of actual system components, conventional numeric functional simulation models, and a set of behavioral knowledge-based representations which model hardware and software functions in terms of functional states, inputs and outputs. The simulation modules are strongly linked and embedded in an object-oriented knowledge-capture and design-representation architecture. The system provides a flexible, reconfigurable model-building and scenario-based simulation environment. The requirements analysis process which led to the development of the concept and the major testbed components are discussed. The object-oriented modeling techniques and frame-based data structure which support the rapid-prototyping capabilities of the testbed and the interactive capabilities of the system are described