Reconfigurable Models: A Modeling Paradigm to Support Simulation-Based Design

In this paper, we define a modeling paradigm that provides simulation support for the design of mechatronic systems. The paradigm supports associating more than one simulation model with each system component. These models are organized in a reconfigurable model that represents the entire model space of the component. The elements of this space are models that vary from abstract (conceptual) to concrete (fully determined), thereby supporting the evolutionary nature of the design process. They allow the designer to work with high-level concepts that can be specialized at later stages in the design process.