Thesis: Infrastructure for DEVS Modelling and Experimentation

After over thirty years of research and development, Discrete EVent system Specification (DEVS) formalism has attracted more and more attention. There are many DEVS modelling and simulation environments available now. However, most of the available environments are focusing on model simulation. Models are built by hand and represented in programming languages like C++, Java, or Python. The simulation traces are represented in pure text files or just in memory. This practice makes DEVS formalism difficult to be standardized, and hence not easy to be applied.

The main goals of this research are to promote DEVS standardization and application. We enhance the DEVS modelling and simulation process at different levels. To be specific, we envision that it is an iterative four-phase process for building DEVS models, which includes Modelling, Verification, Simulation, and Validation. At the Modelling level, we build a visual DEVS modelling environment using Meta-Modelling and Visual Modelling technology. At the model Representation and Verification level, we represent DEVS modeles in neutral model description language Modelica and provide a model compiler that can help to check and translate the neutral Modelica models into language specific models.And at the model Validation level, we build visualization tools for trace analysis and debugging.

The Architecture

Meta-Modelling DEVS and Visual DEVS Modeling Environment
VisualDEVSwithAtom3.tar.gz

Progress:

August 29, 2006
The first version of the thesis is finished.

June 30, 2006
Implementation of the thesis project is done.

April 26, 2006
Modelica Compiler for DEVS models represented in Modelica with code generator for PythonDEVS has been implemented.

Jan 23, 2006
Finished the reading project, and sumitted the reading report.

Jan 6, 2006
Enhanced version of independent DEVS Trace Plotter is implemented. This plotter can read XML represented DEVS simulation trace that is independent on any specific DEVS simulator, and do visual plotting.

Sep 16, 2005
Discussed with Prof. Hans the basic content that should be included in the reading project report. Hans helped me identify and search the papers I should read for the reading project.

August 23, 2005
DEVSEnv, the first version DEVS Visual Modeling and Simulation Environment was released. More information see Projects.

July 12, 2005
Discussed with Prof. Hans the layout of the DEVS trace plotter, and the content that shold be shown in the plotter.

May 19, 2005
Based on the ideas of our first meeting, we further identified the subsystems of this topic and defined specific phases to achieve our ideas.

April 20, 2005
Professor Hans explained to me the motivations and basic ideas about building a integrated DEVS modeling and simulation envrionment. And identified the references I need to read and the related technologies I should know.