Der folgende Artikel zum Thema „How Modeling Guideline Software Improves Model-Based Development for Safety and Efficiency“ ist derzeit nur auf Englisch verfügbar. Aus dem Inhalt: Modellierungsrichtlinien werden oft als lästige Pflicht gesehen, bieten aber bei frühzeitiger und richtiger Anwendung enorme Vorteile. Der Artikel erklärt, wie solche Richtlinien die Qualität, Sicherheit und Wartbarkeit von Modellen verbessern. Er zeigt, woher die Richtlinien stammen, wie sie funktionale Sicherheit unterstützen und warum ihre Anwendung so früh wie möglich im Entwicklungsprozess wichtig ist. Zudem wird dargestellt, wie Richtlinien helfen, Komplexität zu reduzieren, Fehler zu vermeiden und den Entwicklungsaufwand durch weniger Feedback-Schleifen zu senken. Abschließend stellt der Artikel die Modellierungsrichtlinien-Software MXAM vor und gibt Hinweise zu weiterführenden Trainingsangeboten. So erhalten Leser:innen einen klaren Überblick, wie Modellierungsrichtlinien-Software die modellbasierte Entwicklung sicherer und effizienter macht.
Modellierungsrichtlinien-Software für sichere und effiziente modellbasierte Entwicklung
In model-based development (MBD), modeling guidelines are often misunderstood. Many see them as a compliance task to be completed just before a milestone. They are perceived as something to satisfy quality managers, make reports look polished, or fulfill safety requirements.
But what if we take a step back and understand the real value behind guidelines?
At Model Engineering Solutions (MES) we say that guidelines are not the enemy. When applied correctly and early they become a powerful ally in building high-quality, safe, and maintainable models. Using the right modeling guideline software provides answers early in the process and helps reduce costly feedback loops later on. It rather enables developers to embed expert knowledge they otherwise might not have directly into their development workflow.
What Exactly Are Modeling Guidelines?
Modeling guidelines are curated sets of best practices for structuring, implementing, and maintaining models. They are not laws, but proven recommendations designed to reduce complexity and prevent common errors.
Some examples include:
- "Use a consistent color scheme throughout the model to enhance readability."
- "Avoid global Goto and From blocks to maintain transparency in signal flow."
- "Arithmetic blocks must not use inconsistent or inadequate data types."
These rules improve layout, signal flow, and help to avoid unsafe modeling patterns.
Why Should We Care About Modeling Guidelines?
Consider a model that was built quickly without following guidelines:
The model may seem functional, but deeper review often reveals issues like poor readability, inconsistent data flow, and risky structures.
Now look at the same model after applying guidelines:
Where Do These Guidelines Come From?
Modeling guidelines are defined by a variety of groups, such as, industry consortia, tool vendors, and companies themselves. Among the most established sources are:
- MISRA (Motor Industry Software Reliability Association)
- MAB (MathWorks Advisory Board)
- Tool providers like dSPACE, MathWorks, and MES
- OEM and supplier-specific standards used by companies like Mercedes-Benz, VW, and ZF
These organizations contribute to the recommendations implemented in modern modeling guideline software. The guidelines they develop focus on tools like MATLAB, Simulink, Stateflow, and TargetLink.
How Do Modeling Guidelines Support Functional Safety?
In safety-critical systems governed by standards such as ISO 26262 or IEC 61508, modeling guidelines play a vital role in supporting functional safety. They help reduce the risk of systematic failures by promoting clarity, consistency, and robustness in model-based designs. Additionally, guidelines aim to enforce safe modeling practices, restrict the use of error-prone constructs, and ensure proper data flow and execution order. These factors are essential for building models that are functionally correct, testable, and maintainable. When applied consistently using modeling guideline software, they help teams meet safety requirements and maintain high quality throughout the software development lifecycle.
When Should Guidelines Be Applied in the Workflow?
The short answer: as early as possible.
Applying guidelines too late often means missing the opportunity to prevent errors. Instead, integrate them at key points:
- During modeling to avoid known problems early
- Before testing to reduce complexity and review time
- At handover points to assure quality between suppliers and OEMs
- Before code generation to streamline verification
Modeling guideline software enables continuous control of guideline compliance by offering automatic checks and real-time feedback.
What Happens When Complexity Is Not Controlled?
High complexity is one of the biggest enemies of safe and maintainable software. When complexity is not actively managed, models tend to grow uncontrollably. In embedded software development, this has serious consequences: complex models are harder to understand, more prone to errors, and significantly more difficult to review and validate. Over time, this slows down development, makes testing inefficient, and increases the cost of maintenance and certification. It also puts overall system reliability at risk by making errors harder to detect and fix.
Modeling guidelines help address this risk by promoting clean architectures, encouraging the decomposition of large systems, and restricting the use of unsafe or ambiguous modeling patterns. To further control complexity, many teams rely on objective metrics. One proven approach is the Halstead Metric adapted from code-based software engineering to fit model-based design environments such as Simulink. In this context, blocks are treated as operators, and their inputs and outputs as operands. The Halstead Volume scales linearly with the number of blocks and logarithmically with the diversity of block types and connections. This makes it a practical metric to assess and compare model complexity.
By integrating such metrics into modeling guideline software, teams can systematically identify complexity hotspots, guide refactoring efforts, and ensure that models remain easy to maintain, test, and scale.
How Does Modeling Guideline Software Support the Practical Application of Guidelines?
Modeling guidelines only add value when they are applied correctly and consistently throughout the development process. Modeling guideline software supports this by automating checks, providing guidance, and integrating directly into the modeling environment.
One example of a modelling guideline software is MES Model Examiner® (MXAM), which allows engineers to validate their models against standards such as MISRA, MAB, ISO 26262, or company-specific guideline set. MXAM is a powerful solution for performing in-depth static analysis of model-based designs. Engineered with functional safety in mind, it evaluates model structure, checks key metrics, and supports the consistent application of modeling guidelines.
Expand Your Knowledge with tudoor academy
Webinar: Guidelines are a Modeler's Best Friend - Alongside best practices for modeling guidelines and model complexity, the webinar will cover the fundamental principles of static model analysis.
Training: MXAM in Action - Best Practices for Modeling Guidelines and Architectural Design Principles - This training class teaches you how to develop MISRA- and ISO 26262-compliant models by applying established modeling standards and best practices. The emphasis is on the effective integration of the MES Model Examiner (MXAM) into the development workflow.
In-House Training: MXAM Guideline Selection & Configuration - This consulting package is targeted at users of MES Model Examiner (MXAM) who intend on customizing their set of modeling guidelines to their specific needs.
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