Co-modelling and Co-simulation in Embedded Systems Design

This chapter introduces the first basic concepts of co-modelling and co-simulation, including notions of system, model and co-model, simulation and co-simulation, etc. It also describes the ways in which co-modelling and co-simulation can be integrated with established development processes such as IEEE 15288 (Systems and Software Engineering—System Life Cycle Processes, [45]) and IEEE 12207 (Systems and Software Engineering—Software Life Cycle Processes, [44]). The collaborative development of an embedded system requires productive interaction between engineers from very different backgrounds. Control engineering and software engineering have matured over many decades, each with its own philosophy, methods and terminology, and so it is necessary to clarify the common ideas that underpin co-modelling and co-simulation. This chapter introduces these concepts, including the ideas of system (Sect. 2.2), model (Sect. 2.3), comodel (Sect. 2.4), co-simulation (Sect. 2.5) and design space exploration (DSE) (Sect. 2.6). Realising collaborative modelling and co-simulation within established development processes is considered in Sect. 2.7. Finally, Sect. 2.8 provides a summary of the chapter.