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For systems engineers, Systems Modeling Language (SysML) basically helps in representing system-related information in universally accepted dynamic diagrams.

Essentially, SysML extends UML with powerful systems engineering capabilities for modeling a wider spectrum of systems and capturing all aspects of a system’s design.

The advantage of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML is the ability to create models/diagrams for the system instead of using documents. When the systems engineer defines or creates something in a diagram, the SysML tool maintains consistency in all the other diagrams in a process called traceability.

In reality, SysML is the overwhelming choice of systems engineers because it can be used to type a wide range of basic structural elements by their values and can also include information about associated quantity kinds and units of measure.

ValueTypes are applied to type many structural elements in a SysML model, including:

  • Blocks: Value Properties, Operation parameters & return values, atomic Flow Ports
  • Associations/Connectors: ItemFlows, Item properties
  • Activities: ObjectNodes, Pins, Activity Parameters
  • ConstraintBlocks: Constraint parameters

According to the OMG (Object Management Group), SysML defines three kinds of ValueTypes: 

  1. Primitive ValueType has no internal structure. SysML pre-defines four Primitive ValueTypes (StringBooleanIntegerReal) and you can define more as needed.
  2. Structured ValueType has internal structure, defined as Value Properties, and can be recursively nested.
  3. Enumerated ValueType is a list of literal string values, equivalent to a UML (Unified Modeling Language) Enumeration.

When done properly, the usefulness of SysML in MBSE is that it reduces ambiguity, requires shorter development cycles, reduces costs and leads to better, higher quality overall results.

Additionally it offers life cycle support, separation of concerns, a more complete representation and supports incremental development and evolutionary acquisition.

Want to learn more? Tonex offers SysML Training, a 3-day course that provides participants with technical details of SysML as a systems engineering modeling language. The syntax of SysML is covered and each concept is explained through a number of hands-on practical application workshops and a complete SysML v1.3 Reference Guide.

For more information, questions, comments, contact us.

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