Online Cycle Detection for Models with Mode-Dependent Input and Output Dependencies
This work addresses the challenge of instantaneous cycle detection in co-simulation and component-based modeling for cyber-physical systems, particularly when model dependencies are mode-dependent, which is a problem for system designers and integrators.
This paper introduces an online instantaneous cycle detection (ICD) method for cyber-physical systems where model input-output dependencies are mode-dependent. The method uses an oracle with adaptive data structures to detect cycles at runtime, aiming to minimize simulation stall time. Benchmark results indicate it significantly reduces analysis time compared to offline methods.
In the fields of co-simulation and component-based modelling, designers import models as building blocks to create a composite model that provides more complex functionalities. Modelling tools perform instantaneous cycle detection (ICD) on the composite models having feedback loops to reject the models if the loops are mathematically unsound and to improve simulation performance. In this case, the analysis relies heavily on the availability of dependency information from the imported models. However, the cycle detection problem becomes harder when the model's input to output dependencies are mode-dependent, i.e. changes for certain events generated internally or externally as inputs. The number of possible modes created by composing such models increases significantly and unknown factors such as environmental inputs make the offline (statical) ICD a difficult task. In this paper, an online ICD method is introduced to address this issue for the models used in cyber-physical systems. The method utilises an oracle as a central source of information that can answer whether the individual models can make mode transition without creating instantaneous cycles. The oracle utilises three types of data-structures created offline that are adaptively chosen during online (runtime) depending on the frequency as well as the number of models that make mode transitions. During the analysis, the models used online are stalled from running, resulting in the discrepancy with the physical system. The objective is to detect an absence of the instantaneous cycle while minimising the stall time of the model simulation that is induced from the analysis. The benchmark results show that our method is an adequate alternative to the offline analysis methods and significantly reduces the analysis time.