Process Models from Software Engineering

Process models for the description of adequate design and development procedures are state of the art in the field of software engineering. No matter what process model is used - waterfall model, object oriented design procedures, the V-model, Extreme Programming, Agile Models, or simular - the crucial fact is the order of the process steps for

  • definition of the application and business context
  • collection, analysis and modelling of the requirements
  • architecture and concept development
  • implementation
  • integration in operational environment
  • operation and adpation for steady improvement

The main difference between the various process models mainly is given by the detailing of the steps and the recommended iteration loops and cycle times. But they always start first with the requirements analysis and not by a predetermined solution. (This may sound trivial, but as our engineering experience in numerous projects still show, it is not!)

ANDATA is using these process models not only for the software development but also for the functional design.

That way in the case of mechatronic systems not only the software (the electronic part) is attacked with an adequate process model but also the functional and mechanical part. For that purpose the functional requirements of the system are represented in form of examples coming from test data and/or (stochastic) simulations. These data from the example based representation of the requirements is then trained to the desired system, leveraging all possibilities and advantages of Machine Learning. That way the requirements management becomes an active procedure ("Active Requirements Management, ARM"), which is mathematically operational and can grasp the requirements with the usage of DataMining and SoftComputing methods. Conflicts in the requirements between the desired actions and the available sensor signals can than be sorted out and solved instantly, normally resulting in fundamentally less complex and more robust solutions.