Device modelling environment: an interactive environment for modelling device behaviour

We describe a system called the device modeling environment (DME), which helps the user to analyse the behaviour of the device being designed. Given a description of the device design, the DME formulates a behaviour model of the device, analyses its behaviour through simulation, and provides an explanation of the behaviour. The DME can model both continuous and discontinuous physical phenomena. When it detects that the situation has evolved to a point where the original model is no longer applicable, it is able to modify the model and to continue simulation. We describe the representation of physical knowledge, the model formulation and simulation procedure of the DME. Our goal is to make the DME an interactive environment, which can assist designers even at an early stage of the design process by providing immediate feedback about the implications of design decisions.