System's Design Flashcards
What is a functional decomposition
Decomposing the functionality of the product
You specify all of the function of the artefacts that you are designing for.
Describing the whole system through the different functions that are required throughout its process.
This can be useful to put into other tools too - e.g. a morphological chart
What is one of the big bonuses of a functional decomposition?
It means that the functions can be incredibly abstract.
e.g. if designing a door, the two key functions could be protection and allowing in and out- nothing to do with how a door currently works
This could create completely different solutions
What is a modular decomposition?
Just like the vehicle hierarchy
Goes from system, to sub-system, to parts, the components
What is a drawback of the modular decomposition method?
It suggests that a component only relates to one part, but in reality they are often connected to multiple parts/sub-systems
What effect can a modular decomposition have on the design?
Often, a decision made down one of the pathways e.g. propulsion through electric motors, will effect the higher levels in the decomposition e.g. maintenance, refuelling etc. will all be affected
Does concept design only occur at a system level?
No, it occurs at system, sub-system, parts etc. Every level will require some form of concept design.
What is systems engineering?
The harmonisation of an ensemble of subsystems, components, communication networks, humans space etc.
It is the design as a whole as opposed to the design of parts
How is the V model in systems design useful?
Helps distinguish the complexity across the systems and components.
What is the process of the V model?
LHS - product definition (specification)
Implement along the bottom - the actual design of the product
RHS - product test and integration, testing to see how it works against the specification (LHS of the V)
What are the two types of V models?
What is the architecture V?
Takes the requirements of the system and breaks it down into the sub-system and then the sub-sub system, until you get to the lowest component level(LCI)
Each one of these are called an entity.
What is the entity V?
This will exist at every single level/part of the architecture V (every single entity).
These will be there separate V-models for each of the sub-systems and the components
What is the IDEF0 Functional Modelling method?
It is a hierarchical tool which assumes any process/function can be mapped as a process.(looks a bit like a p diagram)
Has inputs, outputs, controls - specifies the conditions to make the function possible and mechanisms - the resources to support the process.
What is system dynamics?
a methodology and mathematical modelling technique that can be used to model/simulate socio-technical systems as information feedback control systems, in which the environment affects decisions made by human actors, whose actions, in turn, affect the environment.
The method recognises that the many circular, interlocking, time-delayed relationships among its components, are often just as important in determining the system’s behavior as the individual components themselves
