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Algorithm, System design, Algorithms -- Research, System design -- Research, and Systems analysis -- Research

1. INTRODUCTION Teaching modeling and requirements analysis in an experiential manner in a systems analysis and design course has its challenges. A typical systems analysis and design course in the [...]
We describe the use of rapid game prototyping as a pedagogic technique to experientially explore and learn requirements discovery, modeling, and specification in systems analysis and design courses. Students have a natural interest in gaming that transcends age, gender, and background. Rapid digital game creation is used to build computer games quickly and easily using game creation software that requires little or no programming knowledge. It enables the developer to build a quick prototype game and to view the effects of changes almost immediately. The process can be seen as learning-by-making and learning-by-design, which are grounded in the learning theories of social constructivism and constructionism. Viewing the game as a system, students worked on an assignment to create a game prototype for a user, determine requirements, and specify the requirements using use-case diagrams and UML class diagrams. Students found this approach innovative, instructive, and entertaining. We describe this approach and outline its benefits. Keywords: Systems analysis and design, Systems thinking, Modeling, Requirements analysis & specification, Teaching tip, Game theory

Timing, System Design, Models of Computation, Scientific Research, Prototype, Program Development Techniques, Synchronization, Object-oriented languages, Concurrent programming, Object-oriented languages -- Design and construction, and Concurrent programming -- Methods

RAPIDE is a concurrent, object-oriented language specifically designed for prototyping large concurrent systems. One of the principle design goals has been to adopt a computation model in which the synchronization, concurrency, data flow, and timing aspects of a prototype are explicitly represented and easily accessible both to the prototype itself and to the prototyper. This article describes the partially ordered event set (poset) computation model and the features of RAPIDE for using posets in reactive prototypes and for automatically checking posets. An example prototyping scenario illustrates uses of the poset computation model, with and without timing. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Digital Signal Processor, Prototype, Circuit Design, New Technique, Multiprocessing, System Design, Boards/Cards, Low Cost, and Connectivity

Prototyping is usually not done in the early stages of digital signal processor (DSP) design because of the time and money required to design dedicated prototyping hardware. A rapid-prototype setup is proposed with general-purpose hardware to minimize development cost and advanced programming tools to reduce programming time. The hardware includes commercial DSP processors connected to form powerful multiprocessors; the graphical programming environment allows easy programming, compiling, debugging and testing of real-time DSP algorithms on the hardware platform. The system has been used to design a prototype for a digital audio broadcasting system. Included in the system are DSP boards from Loughborough Sound Images, Philips Leuven, Motorola and Texas Instruments.

Vision, Object Recognition, Navigation, Prototype, and System Design

The design of a vision system for an autonomous land vehicle (ALV) is detailed, with a focus on the road-following task. The ALV vision system constructs a scene model of its environment using information obtained from cameras mounted on the ALV. The model for the road-following task contains either objects that represent the road or objects from which the road's location may be deduced.

Prototype, System Design, System Development, Methods, New Technique, Integrated Approach, and Network Diagnostic/Test Equipment

The Programmable Network Prototyping System (PNPS) was developed to provide cost-effective prototyping and behavior analysis of communication networks. PNPS consists of reusable hardware modules, host hardware for control and observation and several software tools. The hardware modules enable the simulation of a variety of network configurations through the implementation of such generic communications functions as transmission and reception, pattern matching and signal propagation. Individual hardware modules consist of a channel emulator and node emulators. Node emulators consist of a network controller and either host emulator or Integrated Services Digital Network workstation. Configuration of the components and their functions are controlled by such software tools as the CE specification language, two high-level languages, user interface, design evaluation tools and the system software language. The PNPS provides a three-phase network design and evaluation process consisting of specification, experiment and analysis.

Software Engineering, New Technique, Case Study, Methods, Utilization, System Design, Prototype, Resource Allocation, Artificial Intelligence, State-of-the-Art, and Mitre Corp. Artificial Intelligence Technical Center -- Research

The Artificial Intelligence Center of Mitre Corp (McLean, VA) developed software storming as an experimental method for prototyping software systems more rapidly and with greater functionality than with other prototyping methods. Software storming is an intense four-week initial prototype software design and implementation effort (plus follow-on phase) that utilizes domain experts and knowledge engineers plus state-of-the-art software development tools and hardware. The four weeks consist of problem definition, action plan development, brainstorming during knowledge engineering and analysis and review. The follow-on phase consists of revision and refinement of the software system. The major differences from other prototyping methods are use of experts to work with knowledge engineers to incorporate appropriate knowledge into a software system and evaluate it and the videotaping of the storming process to improve technique. Software storming was applied to the design of a software system for optimizing placement of equipment in the US Army Mobile Subscriber Equipment System.

Prototype, Software Maintenance, Methods, Computer-Aided Software Engineering, Software Design, Object-Oriented Data Bases, Programming Language, and System Design

The process and advantages of employing rapid prototyping for software evolution are illustrated by use of the object-oriented Computer-Aided Prototyping System (CAPS) and its Prototype System Description Language (PSDL). Software is evolved to improve performance, address changing requirements and eliminate bugs. Typically, software evolution accounts for over half the costs of a software system. Rapidly constructing and analyzing prototypes of aspects of or entire software systems can reduce software evolution costs. CAPS consists of three major components: user interface, data base of reusable software components and a software execution support system. These constitute an integrated set of computer-aided software engineering tools that can be used to build and modify prototype systems, assemble code from the data base, generate production code and manage the entire process. PSDL provides a high-level language description of prototype systems, unified conceptual framework and an integrating facility for the tools. Details of the design and functioning of CAPS and PSDL are discussed.

New Technique, Relational Languages, Research and Development, Methods, Application Development Software, Cost Benefit Analysis, Applications, System Design, Strategic Planning, ADA, Prototype, and Software Engineering

A relational programming methodology is developed that enables the rapid design and prototyping of complex, evolutionary software applications, even by non-professionals with minimal supervision. Only relational data structures are used for system content and interface, and programming uses relational languages with an emphasis on relational algebra. The method is successfully applied to the development of two large projects: the Ada Relational Translator experimental compiler-interpreter for Ada and the Multi-Micro Line tool set for constructing multi-microprocessor applications. Cited advantages of the relational programming methodology include: avoiding early commitment to designing data structures and algorithms, extensive facilities for extracting data views when unanticipated functions must be added, and program structuring is decoupled from programming group structure.

United States. Navy, Prototype, System Design, Case Study, Custom Systems, Real-Time System, BTG Inc. (Fairfax, Virginia) -- Product development, Prototypes, Engineering -- Design and construction, and Real-Time Systems -- Design and construction

BTG Inc's Prototype Ocean Surveillance Terminal (POST) ocean surveillance system has evolved into a highly successful, real-time, mission-critical project that has benefited from the use of operational prototyping. POST was designed for use by the US Navy, whose combat vessels need to know the location and identification of other ships. POST is based on the land-based Ocean Surveillance Information System (OSIS). To develop OSIS to fit the Navy's needs, BTG needed a new prototyping method that would give them rapid development of experimental features while providing high standards of quality control. POST evolved over the years 1983 to 1988, with improvements continuing to be made through 1992. The throwaway prototyping era of 1983-1984 is discussed, as is the operational prototyping era, 1984-1988, and the lessons era, 1988 to the present.