DESIGN OF AN OBJECT-ORIENTED SIMULATOR FOR STRUCTURE VARIABLE SYSTEMS

This paper presents a compressed systemtheoretical formalism for modular hierarchical systems with discrete structure changes. The formalism is the basis of the design of an object-oriented simulation runtime system for combined discrete and continuous systems with complex structure variability. INTRODUCTION Time dynamic systems can be divided into three classes according to their parameter and structure behavior: Time invariant parameters and structure, time variant parameters but time invariant structure as well as time variant parameters and structure. Systems with time variant structure are called structure variable systems 1 or multimodel systems 2 . Modular-hierarchical systems are characterised by a layered arrangement of two kinds of components, atomic and coupled systems 3 . Atomic systems are indivisible entities, which are completely defined by their dynamic behavior. A coupled system is a structured entity consisting of connected atomic or other coupled systems. Struc..