Modeling Structure with

Blocks in SysML

Critical Embedded Systems

Dr. Balázs Polgár
Prepared by
Budapest University of Technology and Economics
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics
Dept. of Measurement and Information Systems
© All rights reserved.

This material can only used by participants of the course.

Budapest University of Technology and Economics

Department of Measurement and Information Systems
System Modeling Process

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Block Definitions

Block Definition Diagrams

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 What is it about?

Context of the Modeling Aspect

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 Roots & Relations
 Engineers draws blocks from the beginning
o By hand or with CAD tools
o Many formats
• e.g. Entity-relationship diagram

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Block Definition Diagram

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 Modeling Aspect
What are the building blocks?
What are their relations in general?

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 Objectives
 Define component types
o Support organization into taxonomy (generalization)
 Define data model
 Define system decomposition
 Define interfaces and ports

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Example – System Context

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Example - Signals

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Example – Component definition

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Example – System Decomposition

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Example – Interfaces and Ports

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Example – System Context with Ports

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 Relations to other aspects
 Realizes requirements
 Provides types for parts & ports
 Executes actions
 Defines participants in collaborations
 Provides context for state machines

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Realizes requirements

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Provides types for parts & ports

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Executes actions

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Defines participants in collaborations

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Provides context for state machines

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What are the building blocks?

Modeling Elements & Notation

Essential Elements of Block Definition Diagrams
 Nodes
o Block nodes
o Signals
o Value Type, Quantity Kind and Unit
o Enumeration nodes
o Actor nodes
 Paths
 Ports and Flows
 Constraint blocks
 Block nodes
 Basic structural elements, that describe the
structure of the system
 Compartments
o Property types (e.g. parts,
properties, references, values)
o Behavioral (e.g. operations)
o Constraints
 Describe
o (Sub)Systems – Hardware /
Software / Data
o Person
 Signal
 A signal is a specification of send request instances communicated
between objects.
 The receiving object handles the received request instances as
specified by its receptions.
 The data carried by a send request (which was passed to it by the
send invocation occurrence that caused that request) are
represented as attributes of the signal.
 A signal is defined independently of the classifiers handling the
signal occurrence.

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 Value Type, Quantity Kind and Unit
 Uniform definition of a quantity
 Value Type
o Data type, that can have Unit and QuantityKind nodes
o Type for value properties in blocks
 Quantity Kind
o Identifies a physical quantity
 Unit
o Describes the structure of a physical unit – the unit of measure
o Must be related to a Quantity Kind
 Enumeration and Actor nodes
 Enumeration
o Defines a type, the value range of which is a limited set
of named values, called literals.

 Actor
o Represents any stakeholder (human, organisation or
external system) that participates in the use of the
system
 Defining Paths between Blocks
 Paths
o Part Association
o Shared Association
o Reference Association
o Association Class
o Generalization
o Dependency
 Part Association
 Specifies a strong whole-part hierarchy
o From a composite
o To a composite part
 Denoted with a black diamond on the whole end
 Role name on the part end
 Can be directed or undirected
 Shared Association
 Specifies a weaker whole-part hierarchy
o "Shared" indicates, that the whole part is not the only
one, it can be more of it
o The parts are not owned by the whole part
 Denoted with an empty diamond
 Reference Association
 Represents a relationship between two blocks
o Undirected: reference in both blocks
o Directed: reference only in one block
 Can have properties
o Multiplicity
o Name
o Reference on both sides
 Association Class
 Describes the structural properties of an
association
 Combination of
o Association
o Block
 Generalization
 Specifies an object oriented relationship between
a more general block and a more specific one (ISA
relationship)
 Denoted with a closed arrowhead from the
specific block to the general one
 Dependency
 Between two elements
 One element needs the other element for its
o Specification
o Implementation
 Almost between any model elements
 Defining Ports and Flows
 Port
 Flow Property
 Interface
 Port
 Port
o Interaction points at which external entities can be
connected
o Limits and differentiates the possible connection types
o Defines the available features (e.g. properties,
operations)
o More denotation alternative
 Flow Property
 Specifies the possible types of flowing items on a
port
o Part of flow specification
o What "can" flow?
• Data
• Material
• Energy
• …
 Flow Item
 Specifies what flows between the blocks
o What "does" flow?
 Interfaces
Definition
An interface declares a set of public features and
obligations that constitute a coherent service
offered by a classifier.
o An interface specifies a contract; any instance of a classifier that
realizes the interface must fulfill that contract.

Interface

Interface realization

Implementing block

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 Interface
 Specifies the behavioral features of a block
o Provided interface
• A service is provided by the block for its environment
• Denoted with a lollipop / ball symbol
o Required interface
• The set of the operations is required by the block for its operation.
• Denoted with a socket symbol
 Defining Constraint Blocks
 Constraint Block node
o Specify a network of constraints to
• Constrain the physical properties of the system
• Identify critical performance paramaters
o Constraints represent mathematical expressions
• F = m*a
• a = dv / dt
 Block Usage

Internal Block Diagrams

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 What is it about?

Context of the Modeling Aspect

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Block Definition Diagram

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 Modeling Aspect
How are components used in a given context
or system?

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 Objectives
 Define how components are interacting with each
other within a given system
o Define relations
o Define data flow
o Define interfaces

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 BDD vs. IBD
 Block Definition vs. Usage
o Block diagram  Definition of the structure
o Internal block diagram  Usage of this structure in different
contexts

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 Relations to other aspects
 Interpreted in the context of a block
 Defines usage of blocks
 Item flows can be mapped to object flows in
activities

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What are the building blocks?

Modeling Elements & Notation

 Defining Blocks - 1
 Nodes
o The instances of the nodes from the related block
diagram (Part properties)
o Can have a unique name with type indication
o Can also be nested into more levels
 Defining Blocks - 2
 Paths
o The properties can be connected to each other with
• Unidirectional Connector
• Bidirectional Connector
o Connectors are the instances of the associations
o Can have multiplicity on both ends
 Defining Ports and Flows
 Ports are to define the interaction points of the
part property
 Flows are to specify the items that flow across a
connector
 Both are understanded in a particular context

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 Summary
 Block Definition Diagram
o What are the elements of the system?
 Internal Block Diagram
o How are elements within a system relates to each
other?

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