Device modelling environment: an interactive environment for modelling device behaviour

Describes a system called the device modelling environment (DME), which helps the user to analyse the behaviour of the device being designed. Given a description of the device design, the DME formulates a behaviour model of the device, analyses its behaviour through simulation, and provides an explanation of the behaviour. The DME can model both continuous and discontinuous physical phenomena. When it detects that the situation has evolved to a point where the original model is no longer applicable, it is able to modify the model and to continue simulation. The authors describe the representation of physical knowledge, the model formulation and simulation procedure of the DME. The goal is to make the DME an interactive environment, which can assist designers even at an early stage of the design process by providing immediate feedback about the implications of design decisions