Introduction

Motivation

Modeling a system and the physical environment in which it operates is a complex process. It involves teams of subject matter experts in each phase of design. Often there are two or more systems that interact with one another. Sometimes, unforeseen behaviors emerge as these systems operate together in a common physical mission environment. Can you be sure that your MBSE designs are complete and accurate if you ignore this emergent behavior? Can you be sure that your digital twin satisfies performance requirements if you execute your behavioral models without high-fidelity, time-dynamic, physics-based analysis? Unfortunately, you can't be sure. That is, unless you execute your MBSE architectures in a way that synchronizes time across systems and embeds environmental calculations in the flow of your state machines. Fortunately, this is exactly what Ansys Behavior Execution Engine is designed to do.

What is Behavior Execution Engine?

Behavior Execution Engine is a model execution and integration engine for executable architectures. It contains a set of capabilities that integrate your MBSE artifacts with environment analysis tools to create time-synchronized, event-based, executable architectures. Behavior Execution Engine simulates and evaluates interactions between your models and their common operating environment to predict mission outcomes and assess capability performance.

Behavior Execution Engine's patented algorithm for model execution and its novel approach to analysis tool integration distinguish it from other MBSE tools in the following ways:

  • Behavior Execution Engine synchronizes time across all systems operating in a shared digital environment in a thread-safe way, eliminating cross-system simulation anomalies and ensuring analysis accuracy.
  • Behavior Execution Engine supports both continuous AND discrete event detection. Continuous event detection allows your analysis tools to perform complex and lengthy calculations efficiently rather than forcing them to execute in lock-step with an external clock. This is especially beneficial for analytical calculations that do not require a time step at all. These results are then considered in the flow of your executable architecture by coordinating the advancement of your simulation in response to time-dynamic events. In addition, Behavior Execution Engine provides mechanisms for performing discrete event detection at specific moments in time, or at relative moments in time when you need to introduce delays such as those associated with human interactions. By using both discrete and continuous event detection, you will get a complete and accurate view of the "state of the world" at any point in your simulation.
  • Behavior Execution Engine's delegate infrastructure provides you with the ability to execute custom Java code in conjunction with modeled time events, change events, call events, signal events, guards, and effects. You can use this custom code to drive analysis tools, execute custom logic, or perform any combination thereof.

Visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office or click the following URL to view AGI patent number 10,540,189 B2: Formalized Execution of Model Integrated Descriptive Architecture Languages.

Common use cases

Armed with the capabilities outlined above, Behavior Execution Engine can enhance the accuracy of your digital twin and help you achieve system design realizations earlier in the life cycle, reducing overall project cost and schedule. Here are some common use cases:

  • Analyze how disparate systems, modeled in SysML, behave and interact in a common environment such as AGI’s Systems Tool Kit (STK).
  • Assess how well MBSE designs perform relative to Design Reference Mission (DRM) constraints and requirements.
  • Analyze and debug state machine flows in real time as systems interact with one another and their targeted operational environment.
  • Identify root causes of failing requirements at any phase of the digital engineering life cycle.

Whether you're an engineer looking for the root cause of a failing requirement, a decision maker determining what changes would improve system performance, a team member learning how your system interacts with another team's system, or an engineer working in any phase of the digital engineering lifecycle, Behavior Execution Engine provides you with the insight to identify solutions faster and with a greater degree of accuracy than ever before.

Getting started

To learn more about Behavior Execution Engine and its capabilities, proceed to the Overview page. Or, if you would like to dive right in, just follow the Setup Guide and you will be ready to create your first simulation in no time!

Thank you for choosing Behavior Execution Engine, and please be sure to reach out if you have any questions or feedback for our team.