Model Based System Engineering

Chapter 1The Start of the Journey

1.1 A Difficult Start

1.1.1 The Initial Foray

My experience with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) started more than 20 years ago. I was curious about the complex interplay between design and execution in the world of embedded real-time systems. With some knowledge of Unified Modeling Language (UML), I began this journey but soon encountered a gap between the theoretical models and the practical embedded code. Moving from high-level concepts to low-level implementation was more difficult than I had expected. Indeed, I did not expect this path would lead me to question systems engineering to such an extent, and that it would change the way I think about, design, and develop complex systems.

1.1.2 A Turning Point

In 2004, I went back to modeling, focusing on the development of interface code that seamlessly links software and hardware parts. The technical project I was working on definitely opened the doors to the MBSE field. Working on model transformations to produce C code from UML models, I began to understand the capabilities and limits of MBSE tools. This realization fueled my motivation to embark on a thesis aimed at closing the gap between abstract models and actual implementation.

1.1.3 Expanding the Scope

Writing my thesis was a valuable experience, even if it started with certain limitations. My initial efforts were mainly technical, relying on ideas that later seemed to limit my work. However, this stage of focused ...