Enhancing the simulation-centric design of Cyber-Physical and Multi-Physics Systems through co-simulation

Cyber-physical systems (CPS) refer to novel hardware and software compositions creating smart, autonomously acting devices, enabling efficient end-to-end workflows and new forms of user-machine interaction, in a wide range of application fields. Given their heterogeneous nature, CPS are naturally designed in the so-called simulation-centric process, where physical equipment design are translated into behavioral simulation models. Although many tools exist to ease the design phase in the different disciplines, their full integration is still an open problem. This fact holds particularly true in a control design perspective, given that in a CPS the "plant" has a heterogeneous nature, and the design of model-based, advanced control techniques would strongly benefit from the availability of a common modeling environment. In this paper, we try to enhance this simulation-centric process by introducing a pure simulation kind of prototype, based on the co-simulation of the firmware and of the multi-physical controlled system. We introduce some innovative tools, implemented in μLab/CfL [1], and discuss upon their impact towards a better collaborative design and integration during the design of CPS. An example is given, taken from the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) field.