In the realm of critical and complex systems, meticulous design, analysis, verification, and validation are paramount. The primary goal is to minimize prototype failures, reduce root cause analysis and design cycles, and avert field failures and safety incidents. Customers increasingly demand robust safety, diagnostics, reliability, and logistic support analyses that adhere to relevant standards. While some engineers may view these analyses as burdensome, they can significantly enhance the system design process.
What is Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)?
Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is an approach in which a system model, rather than a set of documents, carries the design — which is what lets modelling, traceability, analysis and simulation all work from the same source. An electrical engineer using CAD software to design a circuit board is already practising it.
Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) has gained traction in recent years, though its principles have long been in practice under various guises. For instance, when an electrical engineer utilizes CAD software to design a circuit board, they are effectively engaging in MBSE.
Today’s advanced MBSE tools streamline system modeling, enhance traceability, and facilitate rigorous analysis and simulations. Choosing the right tool can save time and provide invaluable insights. Here are five key MBSE analyses that can empower you to make informed design decisions:
How does model-based circuit verification find design errors?
Model-based circuit verification analyses the schematic before layout, so hidden design flaws surface while they are still cheap to fix. Traditional Design Rule Checks often miss critical issues, which is what turns a design cycle long and costly.
Designing complex electronic circuits is fraught with potential errors. Traditional Design Rule Checks (DRCs) often miss critical issues, resulting in prolonged and costly design cycles. BQR’s model-based circuit analysis tools, such as fiXtress® and CircuitHawk™, enable you to identify hidden design flaws before layout through:
- Advanced DRC with customizable rules
- Circuit simulation for component stress testing
- Component derating analysis
What does FMEA do for an electronic design?
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) identifies single points of failure and critical failure modes in a design, and it is the foundation the testability, diagnostic and Fault Tree analyses are built on.
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) has been a cornerstone in identifying single points of failure and critical failure modes. It also serves as the foundation for testability and diagnostic analysis, along with Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). BQR’s FMEA/FMECA software provides:
- CAD software integration for easy functional breakdown
- A comprehensive electronic components failure modes library
- A flexible Risk Matrix compliant with major standards
- Seamless integration with BQR’s MTBF prediction software
- In-depth Testability and Diagnostics Analysis
How is reliability analysed as a design matures?
Reliability analysis begins in early design with a reliability allocation that sets out the redundancy architecture, then moves to Reliability Block Diagram (RBD) modelling once the design is detailed enough to model.
High-reliability systems often feature redundancies and backups. During the early design phase, a "reliability allocation" is essential to outline redundancy architecture. As the design matures, BQR’s Reliability Block Diagram (RBD) software allows for:
- Modeling of complex systems with various redundancy types (hot, cold, standby)
- Sensitivity and numerical analysis, including Monte Carlo simulations
Why is functional safety analysis needed, and what does Fault Tree Analysis add?
Functional safety analysis demonstrates that a complex system meets its safety requirements, and Fault Tree Analysis is the part that dissects severe safety events arising from combinations of failure modes rather than from any single fault.
Functional safety analysis is critical for compliance with safety requirements in complex systems, which may include built-in tests and fault tolerance. Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) helps dissect severe safety events that may arise from combinations of failure modes. BQR’s FTA software facilitates:
- Effortless modeling of intricate safety events
- Consideration of various redundancies and protective layers
- Integration with BQR’s FMECA for comprehensive safety evaluations
What is model-based Logistic Support Analysis (LSA)?
Model-based Logistic Support Analysis optimises the logistics strategy for a system — what it will need to keep running in service. Supply-chain disruption, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, is what moved it up the priority list.
Recent global events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have highlighted the importance of Logistic Support Analysis (LSA) amid supply chain disruptions. Model-based LSA optimizes logistics strategies for systems, covering aspects such as:
- Spare part provisioning
- Stock location optimization
- Repair versus discard decisions
- Vendor selection
BQR’s apmOptimizer® is a cutting-edge model-based tool that empowers you to:
- Calculate expected lifecycle costs
- Optimize logistic support strategies
What do MBSE tools change in practice?
Used together, these five analyses replace judgement with data at each design stage, which is where the improvement in safety, reliability and maintainability comes from.
Leading companies are increasingly leveraging BQR’s MBSE tools for data-driven analysis and decision-making, resulting in improved safety, reliability, and maintainability of their systems. Embracing MBSE can transform your design process, ensuring that your systems not only meet but exceed customer expectations.
