Integration of Mechanical CAD and Behavioral Modeling

This article introduces the concept of combining both form (CAD models) and behavior (simulation models) of mechatronic system components into component objects. By composing these component objects, designers automatically create a virtual prototype of the system they are designing. This virtual prototype, in turn, can provide immediate feedback about design decisions by evaluating whether the functional requirements are met in simulation. To achieve the composition of behavioral models, we introduce a port-based modeling paradigm where systems consist of component objects and interactions between component objects. To maintain the consistency between the form and behavior of component objects, we introduce parametric relations between these two descriptions. In addition, we develop algorithms that determine the type and parameter values of the interaction models; these models depend on the form of both components that are interacting. The composable simulation environment has been implemented as a distributed system in Java and C++, enabling multiple users to collaborate on the design of a single system.