Addressing the challenge

Extensive use of modelling and simulation throughout the value chain and system life-cycle is one of the most important ways to effectively target the challenges related to development of cyber-physical systems. As a result, development environments are becoming increasingly complex and critical for the industry. Open source tools allow more control of tool features and support along with increased cooperation and shared access to knowledge and innovations. In this context, the ITEA 3 project OpenCPS aims to increase the efficiency and quality of verification, validation and testing as well as establish interoperability of the key-technology standards and implement solutions to increase the speed of execution, simulation and dynamic optimisation of models through enhanced multi-core based technology.

Proposed solutions

The OpenCPS consortium represents the model-based development value chain and will focus on integrating executable behaviour concepts of UML/SysML and MARTE with Modelica and FMI in the context of an open-source, cyber-physical modelling, simulation and development environment. It will also leverage the advantages of using Modelica, a high-level modelling language, by developing and integrating sophisticated Verification and Validation (V&V) driven tool support to ease the verification of generated code, reduce test times and deliver more reliable prototypes and products. The opensource modelling platform will be enhanced with efficient simulation techniques for handling the large number of events generated by co-simulation as well as debugging support for all the new features developed in the project. This is a very important step in ensuring that the platform is commercially usable.

Using the OpenCPS FMI Master Simulation Tool OMSimulator, Functional Mock-up Units (FMUs) can be imported, connected, and simulated in an efficient and standardized way. OMSimulator is one of the first tools to implement the System Structure and Parameterization (SSP) standard. Thus, complete composite models can be exported/imported as SSPs.

Project results and impact

Apart from a unique enhanced general opensource, cyber-physical modelling, simulation and development environment and ecosystem, the project’s results will include an industry-grade FMI master simulation tool enabling highly efficient execution, simulation and dynamic optimisation. The results will be validated in a wide range of industry applications. Technology transfer within OpenCPS is assured by the industrial partners as enthusiastic users of the core technologies Modelica, FMI and UML/ SysML. The partners will further industrialise the developed open-source tools and cooperative use of the underlying standards will provide opportunities for improvement.