9

   

Architecture

9.1

   

Interfaces

Interfaces(plug-type connectors) can be described for a system on the one hand and for part types of components on the other. They are described in the item <Interfaces> by part type. Interfaces can not be described for parts, because a part inherits the interfaces from the respective part type (Part and part type belong to the same part definition in this case.).

Interfaces and ports can be identified by a <drawing-number> and a <part-number> or a reference(<part-type-ref>) to a interface <part-type>. The interface can be classified with <interface-class>. The class values can be defined company specific. Further the <seal>, a short description(<desc>) and a extented description (<ncoi-3>) can be defined for a interface.

<interface>s can contain modules and one or more ports which can be grouped together with<port-group>s . The <ports> within a <port-group> can be defined as electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic or optical ports with the attribute [kind]. The default value is "electric". One interface can, for example, contain electrical ports and also pneumatic ports. Each <port> has an attribute [direction] which can be set to the values in, out, bi, ground, power-supply or other. Generally all ports exist in each variant The reference <variant-def-ref> is only used to exclude <port>s from specific variants.

The following figure illustrates the situation:
Figure 6: An example of interfaces

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In the ABS system, there are the parts (employed part types) control unit and hydraulic aggregate. The system has two interfaces; these are described by ABS part type under the item <architecture>/<interfaces>. The interfaces on the parts are inherited from the respective part types and are therefore described in the part type specifications under the item <architecture>/<interfaces>(for the part type, not for the part!) as well.

Interfaces can be connected to other <part-types> either with or without harness. This can be defined in the attribute [connection-type] with the values "harness" or "no-harness". The default value is "harness" which mean that a separate <part-type> exists and the <port-number>s of the interface are the port-numbers of the interface itself. If the value "no-harness" is set, no <part-type> "harness" exists and the <port-number>s are the port-numbers of the connector at the harness.

If a part-type has a interface that is visible from the outside of the part-type but isn't mounted physically on itself, the real interface can be linked with <interface-ref>. That is there is a temporary interface on the surrounding <part-type> that references to the interface which is mounted on the integrated <part-type>.

9.2

   

Signals

<signal-spec>

The definition of a signal between two parts of the same level or between a part and a part type is always contingent upon the signal in the higher ranking part type. As a rule, signals do not have a direction. This is determined by the respective port definition (in, out, bi).
Caution

Strictly speaking, no signals can be fed extraneously to systems and part types. This only becomes possible when a system or a part type is mounted and employed ( "instantiated" )in a higher ranking system or in a higher ranking part type and therefore becomes a part.

The following figure illustrates the situation:
Figure 7: An example of interfaces and signals

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The signal at "1" connects the control unit part to itself. The signals at "2" connect the parts control unit and hydraulic aggregate to one another. The signal at "3" connects the hydraulic aggregate part to the ABS system, while the signal at "4" is fed to the ABS system extraneously, and therefore can only be specified if the system is instantiated.

The signals at "1", "2" and "3" in the last figure are described according to part type ABS under the point <architecture>/<signals>.

The signal at "5" is an internal signal of the control unit. This signal has to be specified within the part type of the control unit.

9.3

   

Connection Components

Connection components of a part type, e.g. electric cables or glass fibre cables, can be described in <connection-comp-spec>. Another possibility is to regard connection components as independent components, consisting of part types and parts. In this case, a connection component is described with its interfaces and characteristics as its own part type. Then it is also part of the component structure.
Figure 8: Structure of Connection Components

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9.4

   

Connections

<connection-spec>

<connections> can be defined within part types. Here, the signal defined for this part type is assigned to a port of an interface. In addition, a connection component.

connection components such as a cable or a bundle of cables can be assigned here.

In the example [An example of interfaces and signals] of a connection, signal "3" is assigned a port of the ABS system. In addition, a 0,75mm2 copper wire was assigned as connecting component.

9.5

   

Network Specification

The network interconnection of a part type can be described in<network-spec>. This topic concentrates all items that are referenced in the MSR NET DTD. The network specification consists of one or more <network>s (e.g. a CAN Bus for Motor Control ) which respectively consists of one or more <port>s with net lines (e.g. CAN_LOW, CAN_HIGH, CAN_SHIELD).

The following example shows the interconnection of a part type in the MSR SYS DTD with the network (specified in MSR NET DTD).
Figure 9: Example for Network Specification

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Figure 10: Structure of Network Specification

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Figure 11: Structure of Network Port

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