Section A

Question 1

P³ interactions

Answer 1

People x Process x Product

Question 2

‘Top down’ development

Answer 2

Aircraft systems, avionics systems and mission systems treated as individual systems

Question 3

Inetgrated functions

Answer 3

Certain systems are interconnected to form integrated function. E.g. guidance and control (G&C) requires integration of function of flight control, hydraulics, automatic flight control and fuel systems.

Question 4

Cross-function characteristics

Answer 4

Design aspects that apply equally to all systems as a common discipline, e.g. safety, human/machine interface (HMI), electromagnetic health (EMH) or maintainability

Question 5

Effect of investing in systems engineering on cost overruns

Answer 5

Investing in SE REDUCES cost overruns, doesn’t have to be v. large percentage, optimal effectiveness a 5-10%

Question 6

Effective Systems Engineering enables the project team to …

Answer 6

… sense, anticipate, and prepare for continuing change in an orderly manner.

Question 7

Definition of a system

Answer 7

Set of interrelated components functioning together toward some common objective(s) or purpose(s)

Question 8

What is an ‘engineered’ system?

Answer 8

Consists of technical or socio-technical elements that exhibits emergent properties not exhibited by its individual elements

Question 9

Elements of a system

Answer 9

• Components - parts of a system
• Attributes - properties of components and system as a whole
• Relationships - between pairs of linked components

Question 10

Examples of properties of components or system

Answer 10

Characteristics, configuration, qualities, powers, constraints, state, etc.

Question 11

Hierarchy of system

Answer 11

System of systems → System → Subsystem → Components → Parts

Question 12

Function of systems engineering

Answer 12

To guide engineering of complex systems

Question 13

Special areas of emphasis of systems engineering

Answer 13

◦ Top-down
approach
◦ Life-cycle orientation
◦ Definition of system requirements
◦ Interdisciplinary or team approach (B&F).

Question 14

What does SE focus on? (4)

Answer 14

• Defining customer needs and required functionality early in the
  development cycle
• Documenting requirements, then
• Proceeding with design, synthesis and system validation, while
• Considering the complete problem: operations, cost and schedule,
  performance, training and support, test, manufacturing, and disposal.

Question 15

Requirements for systems

Answer 15

◦ Essential condition
◦ Need or demand for personnel, equipment, facilities, other resources, or services, by specified quantities for specific periods of time or at specified time
◦ Condition/capability to meet/possess to satisfy contract. standard, specification or other formal doc

Question 16

What does the SE principle ‘Form follows function’ mean?

Answer 16

Form - what are the entities composed of?

Function - what are the entities intended to do?

Question 17

How can a system satisfy its requirements?

Answer 17

Functional partitioning

Requirements allocation

Design, synthesis, analysis and evaluation

Question 18

The 3 main aspects of the core iterative SE process?

Answer 18

Synthesis (what? why?)

Analysis (how?)

Evaluation (does it work?)

Question 19

What is synthesis in the core iterative SE process?

Answer 19

Conceptual design, combining info, concepts, constraints, components, elements to establish complete, consistent system architecture

Question 20

What is analysis in the core iterative SE process?

Answer 20

Assessment of design based on engineering principles

Question 21

What is evaluation in the core iterative SE process?

Answer 21

Determining whether item/activity meets specified criteria