Comprehensive design of cyber physical systems (original) (raw)
2012, Proceedings of the 13th annual conference on Information technology education - SIGITE '12
In recent years there has been a confluence between different fields addressing the broad field of embedded computer systems (cyber-physical systems). Traditional microcontroller-based systems have become more capable and now frequently feature 32-bit processors with networking capabilities. Single-board computers have shrunk to credit-card size and low-cost systems are available-significantly overlapping the application domain of microcontroller systems and, thirdly, mobile platforms (smartphones, tablets, e-readers etc.) also share many characteristics of these systems and overlap their design and application domains. These systems each have their own design communities, tools and standard approaches. However their commonality and overlapping application domains indicate that they share common design problems. The evolution into newer application areas also brings new problems. The situation becomes more complex when these systems are integrated into larger diverse systems. Design approaches and design problems for these different types of embedded system are reviewed. Overlapping and nonoverlapping characteristics and design issues are analyzed. A comprehensive design approach tailored to these cyber-physical systems is proposed. The comprehensive approach addresses design issues not only for all three of the overlapping fields but also systems that incorporate aspects from multiple fields. It also includes factors sometimes neglected when systems are developed within their own narrower design domains. One of the findings of this investigation is that design in this domain requires a diverse set of skills, usually only found in multidisciplinary teams. One discipline that is needed but has not traditionally contributed much in this domain is Information Technology. Another finding is that designers trained in the IT discipline with a systems-oriented approach have specific design skills that are necessary for successful design of these diverse systems.
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