Abstract
Maintaining design consistency is a critical issue for macro-level aerospace development. The inability to maintain design consistency is a major contributor to cost and schedule overruns. By embedding The Systems Modeling Language (SysML) within a formal logic, formal methods can be used to maintain consistency as a design evolves. SysML, provided with a formal semantics, enables engineers to employ reasoning in the course of a typical model-based development process. Engineers can make use of formal methods within the context of current engineering practice and tools without needing to have special formal methods training. As component subsystems are introduced to refine a design, their assumptions are checked against current assumptions. If new assumptions do not introduce inconsistency, they are added to the model assumptions. If the assumptions render the design inconsistent, they are detected which minimizes potential rework. SysML has a demonstrated capability for top-to-bottom design refinement for large-scale aerospace systems. SysML does not have a formal logic-based semantics. The logical formalism within which SysML is embedded matches the informal semantic of SysML closely. The approach to integrating formal methods with SysML is illustrated with a typical macro-level aerospace design task. The design process produces a design solution which provably satisfies the top level requirements. The example provides evidence that coupling formal methods with SysML can realistically be applied to solve aerospace development problems. The approach results from a number of detailed design trades employing a model-based system development process which used SysML as the model integration framework.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abrial, J.R.: The B-Book. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1996)
Anlauff, M., Pavlovic, D., Smith, D.: Composition and refinement of evolving specifications. In: Proceedings of Workshop (2002)
Baader, F., Calvanese, D., McGuinness, D.L., Nardi, D.: The Description Logic Handbook. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2010)
Barendregt, H.: Handbook of Logic in Computer Science, vol. 2. Oxford University Press, Oxford (1992)
Bell, J.: From absolute to local mathematics. In: Synthese. Springer, New York (1986)
Bell, J.: The development of categorical logic. In: Handbook of Philosophical Logic, vol. 12. Springer, New York (2005)
Berardi, D., Calvanese, D., De Giacomoa, G.: Reasoning on UML class diagrams. Artif. Int. 168(1–2), 70–118 (2005)
Boileau, A., Joyal, A.: La logique des topos. J. Symb. Log. 46, 6–16 (1981)
Cabot, J., Clariso, R., Riera, D.: Verification of UML/OCL class diagrams using constraint programming. In: IEEE International Conference on Software Testing Verification and Validation Workshop (2008)
Coquand, T., Huet, G.: The calculus of constructions. Inf. Comput. 76(2/3), 95–120 (1988)
Dupuy, S., Ledru, Y., Chabre-Peccoud, M.: An Overview of Roz: a tool for integrating UML and Z specifications. In: 12th International Conference CAISE’00, Stockhom, Sweden (2000)
Estefan, J.A.: Survey of Model-based Systems Engineering (MBSE) Methodologies. Rev. B, INCOSE Technical Publication, International Council on Systems Engineering (2008)
Graves, H.: Constructions for modeling product structure. In: OWL Experiences and Directions October Workshop (2010)
Graves, H.: Logic for modeling product structure. In: Proceedings of 23rd International Workshop on Description Logics (2010)
Graves, H.: Ontological foundations for SysML. In: Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on Model-Based Systems Engineering (2010)
Graves, H., Blaine, L.: Algorithm transformation and verification in algos. In: Third International Workshop on Software Specification and Design. IEEE Computer Society Press, Silver Spring (1985)
Graves, H., Guest, S., Vermette, J., Bijan, Y.: Air vehicle model-based design and simulation pilot. In: Simulation Interoperability Workshop (SIW) (2009)
Harel, D., Pnueli, A.: On the Development of Reactive Systems. Springer, New York (1989)
Hoare, C.: An axiomatic basis for computer programming. Commun. ACM 12(12), 576–583 (1969)
Hoare, C.: Communicating sequential processes. Commun. ACM 21(8), 666–676 (1978)
Jaffar, J., Michael Maher, J.: Constraint logic programming: a survey. J. Log. Program. 19/20, 503–581 (1994)
Laleau, R., Semmak, F., Matoussi, A., Petit, D., Hammad, A., Tatibouet, B.: A first attempt to combine SysML requirements diagrams and B. Innovations in Systems and Software Engineering 6(1–2), 47–54 (2009)
Lambek, J., Scott, P.J.: Introduction to Higher-Order Categorical Logic. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1986)
Lawvere, F.W.: An elementary theory of the category of sets. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 11, 1–35 (1964)
MacKenzie, D.: Mechanizing Proof. MIT Press, Cambridge (2001)
Marquis, J.-P., Gonzalo, E., Reyes, G.: The history of categorical logic. In: Kanamori, A. (ed.) The Handbook of the History of Logic vol. 6. 1963–1977. (to appear) webdepot.umontreal.ca
Martin-Lof, P.: Constructive mathematics and computer programming. In: Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science (1982)
Michel, D., Gervais, F., Valarcher, P.: B-ASM: Specification of ASM a la B. In: Abstract State Machines, Alloy, B and Z: Second International Conference, ABZ 2010, Orford, QC, Canada, February 22–25 (2010)
OMG Formal Ontology Definition Metamodel. http://doc.omg.org/formal/09-05-01
OMG Systems Modeling Language (OMG SysML\(\texttrademark\)), V1.1 (2008)
OWL 2 Web Ontology Language, W3C Working Draft 11 June 2009
Padawitz, P.: Swinging UML. Lect. Notes Comput. Sci. 1939, 162–177 (2000)
Point, G., Rauzy, A.: AltaRica: constraint automata as a description language. Eur. J. Autom. (Hermes) 33(8–9), 1033–1052 (1999)
Rushby, J.: Formal methods and the certification of critical systems, SRI-TR CSL-93-7 (1993)
Srinivas, Y., Jullig, R.: Specware: formal support for composing software. Lect. Notes Comput. Sci. 947/1995 (1995)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Graves, H., Bijan, Y. Using formal methods with SysML in aerospace design and engineering. Ann Math Artif Intell 63, 53–102 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10472-011-9267-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10472-011-9267-5