Features

XLSE

SysML Diagram Creation

Automation
Diagrams are drawn automatically from imported Microsoft® Word document. You just have to provide block specific properties, e.g. block's name, and the location to draw the block. XLDyn can use Word documents exported from a requirements management system such as IBM Rational DOORS.

Visualization and Navigation
Blocks are drawn on Excel worksheets and colored coded by type. Three-way navigation lets you go from a block to a corresponding row in the system requirements table (SRT) or a node in the model tree. You can also go a from model tree node to a block or SRT, or from the SRT to a block or model tree node.

Requirements Verification

Verification Methods
For each requirement you may specify a verification method which may be test-based or analytical. Test-based verification requires a test or some measurements to be done. Analytical verification requires running a simulation program. For tests, you can electronically send out requests for work. XLSE will generate unique ID's to track work status. Analytical verification can be done in your computer if you use cell formulas, macros, worksheets, XL1D models or 3rd party integrated simulations to model your subsystems. Simulation work that requires other software can be sent out as request, similar to requesting test work

Third-party Software
If you use other software to model subsystems, you can use a macro to launch the third-party software. For commonly used third-party software we can also create a "wrapper" using the same method that we used for XL1D.

You can easily create a verifier that uses Altair's solidThinking Activate model to calculate a system MoE. Note: Third-party software, including Altair's solidThinking Activate, requires an additional license.

Parametric Capability

What-If Studies
All design parameters are linked to Excel cells. That means you can change the cells values, then click a button to see what happens to the measure of effectiveness with the change.

Taguchi's Design of Experiment
Taguchi's DoE is embedded in XLSE. "Embedding" means DoE method is available with any model, and there's no special setup required. You just have to pick the measure of effectiveness, the design parameters and their values. You will be able to determine what are your cost and performance drivers.

Domain Maps
Top-level requirement groups, for example functional, physical, and cost, are treated as domains. You can create a domain map using any two domains, with one domain listed across the top and the other vertically along the side. In other words, a domain map is a rectangular array or table, whose elements can be used to indicate requirements interaction.

Integration

Excel Worksheet
Component properties are stored in the component icon as text strings, which can represent numbers or cell addresses. When properties are stored as cell addresses, their actual values can be set before simulation starts with cell formula or macro. You may, for example, query a database and write the query results to the linked cells. The potential is limitless

SysML Diagrams
You can create a SysML verifier that runs an XL1D model to evaluate one or more measures of effectiveness. You only have to select a model (if there's more than one in the workbook), the measures of effectiveness, and the design parameters you want to vary.

XL1D

Model Creation

Pre-Defined Components
XL1D provides pre-defined components from mechanical, electrical analog, heat transfer, control/signals processing, and reliability domains. Creating a components requires two clicks - one to select a component, the other to drop it unto the worksheet. Dialogs are used to collect properties specific to a component.

User-Defined Components
XL1D provides a BASIC-like scripting language that lets you quickly define the behavior of a custom signal processing block. The scripting language does not require compilation, and it's performance is comparable to bytecode.

Connecting Components
A pair of components can be connected with Excel's native capability for connecting shapes. You can also use the Connection Manager, a dialog that previews the connection before it's made. In both cases XL1D checks for connection errors. For example, you cannot connect a mechanical connection point to an electrical connection point.

Simulation

Algebraic Differential Equations
XL1D provides several ODE integrators, including one for solving "stiff" equations. Differential equations arising from electrical systems are discretized by using the Modified Nodal Approach with a choice of backward Euler or Trapezoidal rules.

Solution Domains
XL1D supports both frequency and time domain analyses. You can also obtain steady state solutions as a special case of time domain analysis.
Certain XL1D components have preset variations in properties, e.g. inertia or spring rates. To do a Monte Carlo simulation, you only need to turn on the feature, and XL1D will calculate and plot the means and variances of signals and state variables as functions of time. The variance for each component can be set independently.

Post-Processing
XL1D uses Excel's native charting capabilities to display x-y plots. A charting dialog is available where you simply have to click on a set of curves, and a pre-formatted, report-ready plot will be created. Automated chart annotation is provided.

Units Management
XL1D uses the kg-m-s units of measurements by default. You may, however, change it to lb-ft-s if you prefer. Properties of individual items may be changed using a dropdown menu if they are different from default. Output follows the units of measurements selected for component properties. However, they can also be easily changed with a dropdown menu..

Pedigree Tracking
With a single button click you can save simulation results to a worksheet with the parameters used to create the results. The worksheet can then be used later to create plots. You can also selectively save plots in report-quality graphics including textboxes that document key simulation parameters