The model-based AutoFOCUS 3 tool is our research platform for model-based systems engineering. As a free open-source solution, it demonstrates how the latest research results can be transferred into practice in a user-friendly way.

Motivation

Model-based systems engineering (MBSE) is already increasingly applied in industrial practice to master the growing complexity in the development of modern software-intensive systems such as automobiles, aircraft, or automation systems. However, due to their generic modeling approaches, existing commercial tools often require extensive adaptations in order to provide real benefits in a specific company’s context. At the same time, these tools only have limited options for automating design and analysis steps to support system developers.

Research Focus

AutoFOCUS 3 (AF3) implements the latest research results from fortiss in the field of model-based systems engineering and makes them available as open-source software. AF3 serves as a research platform for the conceptual design, implementation, evaluation, and demonstration of advanced model-based methods for the automation of design and verification tasks, which are based on the high information content of the underlying models. Our research focuses on the following computer-aided approaches, which combine the expertise of engineers with the performance of state-of-the-art formal methods (e.g. SMT solvers):

• Analysis and optimization of hardware and software architectures that take into account industrial requirements and design goals (e.g. functional safety, reliability, efficiency)
• Systematic reuse as well as management and analysis of variability
• Ensuring consistency between models and other development artifacts
• Evaluation and improvement of model quality to increase the extensibility and maintainability of models, based on metrics
• Validation of systems using simulation-based testing

Application Scenarios

AutoFOCUS 3 is a mature open-source prototype based on the Eclipse platform and is released twice per year. With application in academic research, training and teaching as well as case studies, it bridges the gap between user-friendliness and the latest research results, especially in the following scenarios:

• Prototypical implementation of new modeling approaches, methodologies and techniques
• Conducting industrial case studies, e.g. in the automotive, aviation or industrial automation domains
• Success story AutoFOCUS3 – Optimizing the vehicle architectures of tomorrow
• Training and hands-on workshops for industrial users
• Academic lab courses and teaching, e.g. at the TU Munich