|
- %&tex
- \chapter{Analysis}
- \label{chap:analysis}
- The previous chapter introduced how two design methods are combined to form the bases for one complete design method.
- In this chapter, a design plan is created from this combined design method.
- The goal is to have a concrete design plan that is used in the case study.
- All of the steps in the design plan must be specific such that each of these steps can be evaluated after the case study is finished.
- The first three steps of the design phase are based on the \ac{se} approach and are already described with great extend by \textcite{blanchard_systems_2014}.
- As the evaluation of \ac{se} is not in the scope of this thesis, this chapter only covers the minimal description of the design steps in \ac{se}.
- The steps that are introduced by \ridm are covered in more detail.
-
- \section{Systems Engineering}
- The goal of the preliminary design is to setup system requirements and an initial design according to the problem definition.
- Although these design steps in \ac{se} play a crucial roll in the success of the development, they are, however, very exhaustive.
- A major part of this complete design process is the required documentation to ensure agreement about the design between the different stakeholders.
- Resulting in a process that can take months or even years, which is not feasible for this thesis.
- In this thesis, this design plan is only used for evaluation and has only one stakeholder, the author.
- This allows for a simple implementation of the \ac{se} approach, as it not possible to create a false start due to misunderstanding, saving valuable time.
- For each of these \ac{se} steps is explained what is involved with a full implementation, and what part of the step is used in the design plan.
-
- \subsection{Problem Definition}
- Before any design process can start, the "problem" has to be defined.
- In other words, why is the function of the system needed?
- This is described in a \emph{statement of the problem}.
- In this statement of the problem it is important to describe "what" has to be solved, not directly "how".
- \textcite{blanchard_systems_2014} also note that "defining the problem is often the most difficult part of the process".
- It is important to ensure good communication and understanding between the different stakeholders.
- Otherwise, it is possible that the designed product is not up to the customers expectations.
- It furthermore involves defining the subjects like what are the primary and secondary functions? When must this be accomplished? What is not a function?
- For this thesis, however, the problem definition is limited to a short statement of the problem, covering some required functions with corresponding requirements.
-
- \subsection{System Requirements}
- The system requirements are derived from the problem definition, and describe the characteristics of the system.
- As these characteristics form the foundation of the system, the requirements must be defined without any ambiguity, vagueness or complexity.
- The requirements are written according to the \ac{ears} \autocite{mavin_easy_2009}.
- \ac{ears} was chosen for this design method due to its simplicity, which fits the scope of this thesis.
- Later in the design, these requirements are divided over the subsystems.
- Any issues, like ambiguity, in the requirements, propagate through these subsystems.
- This might lead to a redesign of multiple sub-systems when these requirements have to be updated.
-
- \subsection{Initial Design}
- \label{sec:se_initial_design}
- In the initial design step, the "what has to be solved", is expanded with a solution on "how it is solved".
- To find the best solution it is important to explore the different solutions and design space.
- Often, there are many possible alternatives but they must be narrowed down to the solutions that fit within the schedule and available resources.
- The best alternative is materialized in a design document together with the system requirements.
- To verify that the system works in line with the system requirements, a test protocol is written for the system.
- This protocol explains how the tests are preformed and what the pass conditions are.
- This design document is used in the next phase of the design.
-
-
- \section{Rapid Iterative Design Method}
- From this point, the design plan is based on the \ridm and not anymore on the waterfall model.
- The first step is the feature definition, which prepares the required features based on the initial design.
- The features are defined by splitting the system in such a way that the results of each implemented feature are testable.
- The definition of the feature contains a description and a set of sub-requirements which is used to implement and test the feature.
- During the feature definition, the dependencies, risks and time resources are determined as well, this establishes the order of implementation in the feature selection step.
-
- The second step is the feature selection, where one of the features is selected.
- This selection is based on the dependencies, risk, and time requirements in the feature definitions.
- The third step is the rapid development cycle, which uses the sub-requirements and description of the selected feature to create an initial design, a minimal implementation and tests.
- In the last step, the variable detail approach is used to add detail to the minimal implementation over multiple iterations.
- The tests are used to determine if the added detail does not introduce any unexpected behavior.
- This cycle of adding detail and testing is repeated till the feature is fully implemented.
- From this point, the \ridm is repeated from the second step until all features are implemented.
-
- \subsection{Feature Definition}
- \label{sec:featuredefinition}
- During the feature definition, the system is split into features as preparation for the rapid development cycle and the variable-detail approach.
- The goal of the \ridm is to get feedback of the design as early as possible by performing short implementation cycles.
- To achieve these short cycles, the features that are implemented in these cycles, are as small as possible.
- However, the features must still be implemented and tested individually during the implementation and can thus not be split indefinitely.
- Together with the definition of the features, the requirements are divided along the features as well.
- During the initial design, a test protocol is made to evaluate the system-wide specifications.
- For the feature requirements, tests are added to the test protocol as well.
- These tests only require the corresponding feature to be implemented and must all pass to finish the implementation of the feature.
- The optimal strategy on splitting features and specifications is strongly dependent on the type of system.
- Therefore, the best engineering judgement of the developer the best tool available.
-
- In some cases it is not possible to define a feature that can be implemented and tested independently.
- This occurs when the feature is dependent on the implementation of other features.
- This dependency can occur in specifications, where strength of one feature dictates the maximum mass of another feature.
- Such a dependency can work both ways and can be resolved by strengthening the one feature, or reduce the weight of the other feature.
- Another type of dependency is when the implementation influences other features.
- In this case, if the implementation of one feature changes, it requires a change in the other features.
- An example of this is a robot arm, where the type of actuation strongly influences the end-effector.
- When the robot arm approaches an item horizontally, it requires a different end-effector than approaching the item vertically.
-
- There are two important responsibilities for the developer when the design encounters feature dependency.
- The first one is during the definition, where the developer has to decide on how to split the system and how the dependency is stacked.
- For the specification and the implementation dependency the developer must evaluate the optimal order of dependency.
- The developer must arrange the dependency of the features such that the influence on the dependent feature is as small as possible.
- In other words, if feature A can be easily adapted to the implementation of feature B, but not the other way around, the developer must go for A dependent on B.
- The second responsibility is organizing the feature requirements.
- Due to these dependencies it is possible that the division of requirements changes, because the result of the implemented feature was not as expected.
- This is not directly a problem, but a good administration of the requirements makes an update of these requirements easier.
-
-
-
- \subsection{Feature Selection}
- \label{sec:feature_selection}
- The rapid development cycle does not specify which feature is implemented first, even though the order of implementation does change the feasibility of the complete development.
- An example that shows the importance of the order of features is the development of a car.
- To have a critical damped suspension in a car, the weight distribution of the car must be known.
- If the suspension of the car is designed before all the features that determine the weight distribution, it is likely that the suspension design is not up to specifications.
- Resulting in a redesign of the suspension feature and thus increasing the overall development cost.
- This example is caused by the dependency between different features.
- \begin{marginfigure}
- \centering
- \includegraphics[width=2.9cm]{graphics/feature_dependency.pdf}
- \caption{Dependency graph for features.}
- \label{fig:feature_dependency}
- \end{marginfigure}
- \begin{table}[]
- \caption{Comparison of features with their corresponding risk and time.
- The last column is the risk value divided by the number of days.}
- \label{tab:feature_selection}
- \begin{tabular}{l|r|r|r|r|r|}
- \cline{2-6}
- & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Dependees} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Tests} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Risk} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Time} & \multicolumn{1}{l|}{Risk per time} \\ \hline
- \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{Feat. A} & 2 (2, 3) & 2 & 15 \% & 3 days & 5 \\ \hline
- \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{Feat. B} & 0 & 3 & 40 \% & 5 days & 8 \\ \hline
- \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{Feat. C} & 1 (5) & 5 & 25 \% & 2 days & 12.5 \\ \hline
- \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{Feat. D} & 0 & 4 & 15 \% & 1 day & 15 \\ \hline
- \multicolumn{1}{|l|}{Feat. E} & 0 & 4 & 45 \% & 6 days & 7.5 \\ \hline
- \end{tabular}
- \end{table}
-
- To determine the order of implementation of features, a dependency graph and a comparison table is made.
- The dependency graph and the comparison table for a theoretic system is shown in \autoref{fig:feature_dependency} and \autoref{tab:feature_selection} respectively.
- The comparison table has dependees column, that describes the number of features that are depending on that specific feature, and are derived from the dependency graph.
- The tests column describes the number of tests that are covered by implementing this feature.
- These tests are defined during the initial design and the feature definition, the number represents the amount of tests that pass after implementation of the feature.
- The risk per time score for third rule is calculated by dividing the risk score with the time score.
- The goal of this score is to eliminate as much risk as possible in the least amount of time.
- It seems logic to always implement the highest risk feature first, but it is possible to finish multiple features with a lower risk in the same time period.
- This is visible in \autoref{tab:feature_selection}: In a time span of 6 days it is possible to implement feature E or features A, C, and D.
- The risk that is cleared by E is 45 \% which is significantly less than the combined 65 \% of A, C and D.
- Due to the limited scope of this thesis, it is not possible to give a good metric for determining risk and time.
- Nevertheless, it is strongly advised that the developer defines some metric that fits his project best.
-
- With a completed table, the order of implementation of features is determined by the following rules:
- \begin{enumerate}
- \item Features that are dependencies of others must be implemented first.
- \item Features that complete more system test than other features when implemented have priority.
- \item Features with the higher \emph{risk per time} score than other features have priority.
- \end{enumerate}
- The rules are applied in order, if one rule reduces the set to a single feature to implement the rest of the rules are skipped.
- The third rule is a sorting rule, and the feature that fits best is implemented.
- In case of a draw or in special cases the developer decides what feature to implement next.
-
- Looking at an example of 5 features:
- As seen in \autoref{fig:feature_dependency}, Features B and C are dependent on feature A.
- Feature D does not have any dependency connections, and feature E is dependent on C.
- Together with the information in \autoref{tab:feature_selection}, the order of implementation is:
- \begin{description}
- \item[Feature A:] has two features that are dependent on this feature, more than any other.
- \item[Feature C:] has one feature that is dependent on this feature, most dependencies after A is implemented.
- \item[Feature D:] has the same number of tests as E, but D has a significant higher risk per time score than E
- \item[Feature E:] has the most number of tests.
- \item[Feature B:] only one left to be implemented.
- \end{description}
- Note that this example assumes that nothing changes.
- In case of a feature not being feasible during the implementation, the design has to be reviewed.
- This also means that the dependency graph and comparison table change, resulting in a different order of implementation.
-
- \subsection{Rapid Development Cycle}
- Each iteration of this rapid development cycle implements one complete feature.
- The feature that is implemented is selected in the prior feature selection step.
- The goal of this step is to lay the foundation for the development of the feature.
- This foundation consists of a basic model, a set of detail elements and a list of tests.
- The set of detail elements is a collection of design aspects that are added to increase the detail during the next design step.
- These detail elements can represent behavior, parasitic elements, or components.
- How these detail elements are implemented and what the basic model consists of is based on the initial design of the selected feature.
-
- The initial design of the feature is similar to the system wide approach in \autoref{sec:se_initial_design}.
- It consists of a design space exploration, but with more detail, which is possible as the feature is significantly smaller than the complete system.
- From the design space exploration, the developer selects the optimal design choice for the current feature.
- For this design choice, a design document is made that illustrates the rough shape and dynamics of the implementation.
-
- The basic model and the detail elements are based on an initial design of the feature.
- The basic model consists of only the most basic elements of the design.
- As the basic elements that make the basic model differ strongly per system, there is not a specific approach.
- In general, the basic elements should only represent dominant and essential behavior of the system.
- A good starting point for the dominant behavior is to identify the interesting energy states of the system.
- The energy states of interest can include the energy states that are dominant, but also the states that are chosen by the developer.
- These last states could represent the output states or status that have to be measured.
- In the end, the developer decides if states are required and implement them in the basic model.
- All the elements that are part of the initial design but are not part of the basic model are the detail elements.
-
- Lets take a motorized double inverted pendulum for example, which consists of two arms with motorized joints.
- Both pendulum arms are dominant energy states.
- The electrical motors have also internal states, but store significantly less energy than the pendulum arms.
- An basic model would in this case only consists of the arms, possibly even without any dynamic behavior.
- The dynamic behavior, motor characteristics, resistance, or gravitational force are examples of detail elements that can be added to increase the detail.
-
- Now with initial design and the basic model, all that is left is to describe a list of tests.
- The goal of these tests is to verify if the design meets the specifications of the feature.
- The tests have a short description on how to perform the tests and what should be achieved.
- It is important that all the specifications are covered by at least one test.
- This relatively simple approach of testing is possible due to the limited scope of this thesis.
- For a complexer design, the testing needs to be automated.
- The \ac{amt} \autocite{jansen_automated_2019} is an interesting method to perform the testing of the models.
- However, at the time of writing, the software is in a proof of concept state and not usable for this thesis.
-
- \subsection{Variable Detail Approach}
- With the variable detail approach the basic model is developed into a refined model of the feature.
- This is done by implementing the detail elements over the course of multiple iterations.
- To determine the order of implementation of these elements the approach for the order of features from \autoref{sec:feature_selection}.
- Each iteration produces a new model with more detail than the previous.
- The newly added detail is evaluated by performing the tests that were defined during the rapid development cycle.
- \begin{figure}
- \centering
- \includegraphics[width=8.5cm]{graphics/test_flow_graph.pdf}
- \caption{Decision flowchart to follow for failed tests on each detail level.}
- \label{fig:test_flow_graph}
- \end{figure}
- Not all tests are expected to succeed from the start, as not all details are implemented.
- For example, if the internal resistance of a electric motor is not yet implemented in the model, the motor can draw an unlimited current, and this would exceed the current draw specifications of the motor.
- The decision flowchart in \autoref{fig:test_flow_graph} in determines whether the design must be reviewed or can continue on a failed test.
- The decisions are made with the following questions:
- \begin{itemize}
- \item Passed Before? The current test of the current design failed, but was there a previous detail level where it passed?
- \item Expected to fail? Does the test fail as a direct result from the added detail and was that intentional?
- \item Expected to pass? Should the added detail to the model result in a pass of the test?
- \item Will pass in future? Is there an element that will be implemented that results in a pass of the test?
- \end{itemize}
- In the case that the implementation of a detail element fails multiple times, the developer has to investigate if implementing the feature is still feasible.
- This could result in a redesign of the feature or system.
- When and how this decision has to be made differs per situation and is outside the scope of this thesis.
- The developer must evaluate if there are feasible alternatives left for this element, feature or system, and apply these alternative if possible.
-
- When all detail elements are implemented and the basic model has evolved into a refined model of the feature, the design cycle moves back to the feature selection.
- In the case that this is the last feature to implement, this concludes the development.
-
- \section{Summation}
- \begin{marginfigure}
- \centering
- \includegraphics[width=6cm]{graphics/design_flow_analysis.pdf}
- \caption{Combined design plan, based on the \ridm and the Waterfall model.}
- \label{fig:design_plan_analysis}
- \end{marginfigure}
- The waterfall model from \ac{se} and the \ridm \autocite{broenink_rapid_2019} are combined to create the design plan as shown in \autoref{fig:design_plan_analysis}.
- The first four steps of the design process form the preparation phase: problem description, specifications, initial design, and feature definition.
- The initial design step creates a holistic design based on the prior problem description and specifications step.
- The last step of the preparation is the feature definition, where the initial design is split into different features.
- The resulting initial design and its features together form the design proposal for the development steps.
- The development step consists of the feature selection, rapid development, and variable detail steps.
- These three steps are applied to each feature in the initial design individually.
-
- With each iteration of the development cycle a new feature is added to the complete system.
- All the tests of the individual features are performed in the complete system as well.
- This ensures that the one feature does not break a another feature.
- The design is finished when all the features are implemented, tested and combined.
-
- In the optimal situation the preparation phase is only performed once at the start of the design, and the development cycle is performed for each feature.
- However, if features prove to be infeasible, some steps have to be revised.
|