Graphical system design (GSD) is a modern approach to designing measurement and control systems that integrates system design software with COTS hardware to dramatically simplify development. This approach combines user interfaces,

models of computation In computer science, and more specifically in computability theory and computational complexity theory, a model of computation is a model which describes how an output of a mathematical function is computed given an input. A model describes how ...

, math and analysis, Input/output signals, technology abstractions, and various deployment target. It allows

domain expert A subject-matter expert (SME) is a person who has accumulated great knowledge in a particular field or topic and this level of knowledge is demonstrated by the person's degree, licensure, and/or through years of professional experience with the su ...

s, or non- implementation experts, to access to design capabilities where they would traditionally need to outsource a system design expert. This approach to system design is a super-set of electronic system-level (ESL) design. Graphical system design expands on the EDA-based ESL definition to include other types of embedded system design including industrial machines and medical devices. Many of these expanded applications can be defined as "

the long tail In statistics and business, a long tail of some distributions of numbers is the portion of the distribution having many occurrences far from the "head" or central part of the distribution. The distribution could involve popularities, random n ...

" applications.

System-level design

Graphical system design is an approach to designing an entire system, using more intuitive graphical software and off-the-shelf (non-custom) hardware devices to refine the design, create initial prototypes, and even use for few runs of deployment. The approach may involve Algorithm engineering. The approach can prove successful when designers need to get something to market quickly (medical video

or with a team of non-embedded experts like Boston Engineerin

to create a mechatronics engineering, mechatronics-based machine.

"Graphical system design is a complementary but encompassing platform-based approach that includes embedded and electronic system design, implementation, and verification tools. ESL and graphical system design are really part of the same movement--higher abstraction and more design automation looking to solve the real engineering challenges that designers are facing today--addressing design flaws that are introduced at the specification stage to ensure they're detected well before validation for on-time product delivery."

Tools

Graphical system design relies on open connectivity. For example, tools that can be used in the design phase include (in alphabetical order): Ansoft Designer,

AutoCAD AutoCAD is a 2D and 3D computer-aided design (CAD) software application developed by Autodesk. It was first released in December 1982 for the CP/M and IBM PC platforms as a desktop app running on microcomputers with internal graphics control ...

, CarSim,

DOORS A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide secu ...

Dymola Dymola is a commercial modeling and simulation environment based on the open Modelica modeling language. Large and complex systems are composed of component models; mathematical equations describe the dynamic behavior of the system. Developed ...

, LabVIEW, MSC.Adams, NI Multisim, NEi Nastran,

SolidWorks SolidWorks (stylized as SOLIDWORKS) is a brand of software used for solid modeling computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE). It was one of the first 3D CAD applications designed to run on a desktop PC. The brand is owned ...

SPICE In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...

, OpenWire (library).{{Cite journal , date=2014-06-01 , title=NASA Tech Briefs, June 2014 , url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20140009967 , language=en The prototyping stage is more about taking algorithm design and implementing them on hardware for higher quality designs. An effective prototyping platform includes a high-level language, real-time processors,

FPGA A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a type of configurable integrated circuit that can be repeatedly programmed after manufacturing. FPGAs are a subset of logic devices referred to as programmable logic devices (PLDs). They consist of a ...

logic, modular I/O and any

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...

needed. The deploy stage is mostly about hardware - where you put your design in the final stage. This may involve MPUs or FPGAs.

Examples

Examples of engineers and scientists applying graphical system design techniques include:
Graphical System Design for Digital Radio Mondiale

Researchers Use Graphical System Design for Development and Control of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

Developing a Robotic Manipulator for Cancer Therapy Using Graphical System Design

Graphical system design for embedded control systems

References

Electronic design automation