Overview
The purpose of this assessment is to provide students with the opportunity to deepen, extend and apply the knowledge and skills developed from the first 3 weeks of material. Students complete the assignment individually.
As described in this course's third study guide - Software Analysis, Modelling and Specification - there are two main approaches to systems analysis specification - structured (or classical analysis) and object-oriented analysis. Your text, Software Engineering: A Practitioners Approach (Pressman, 2010) identifies these two paths as different approaches to requirements modelling.
There are special extensions to the structured approach to deal with real-time systems. Study guide three identifies a real-time system as "...a system that has to respond to external events in a pre-defined maximum time interval. Hence such systems differ from the normal software system in that their temporal performance forms part of their requirements".
This assignment asks you to individually provide the requirements analysis specification for an example of a real-time system. You will be required to complete Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) and Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) as well as include RT-SASD modifications and components including Control Flow Diagram extensions (CFDs), updates to Process Specifications (PSPECs) and Data/Requirements Dictionary as well as Control Specifications (CSPECs) (using combinational or sequential FSMs as required and presented in an appropriate format as Process Activation Tables (PATs) and/or State Transition (Machine) Diagrams (STDs)).
Learning Outcomes Assessed
The following course learning outcomes are assessed by completing this assessment:
S1. Critically analyse and use complex decision making to research and determine the appropriate
Software Engineering tools and methodologies to utilize in a given situation
S2. Apply professional communication skills to support and manage the engineering of a large software system
S3 Review, critically analyse and develop artefacts to define processes for quality assurance, risk management and communication in large software development projects
S4 Implement quality assurance activities in order to verify user requirements and validate design decisions
A1 Analysis of a large system development problem to decide upon the best methodological approach
Assessment Details
This assignment will be assessed by your lecturer/tutor. The assignment requires you to produce an analysis report containing five components identified under the Assessable Tasks/Requirements on page 9 of this document.
Background - Central Heating Control System V10 (CHCSV10) Project
You have been retained as a Software Engineering consultant to the Heating2 Company. The company produces heating equipment for residential and non-residential facilities. Heating2 are planning to release a new line of gas fired central heating systems and need to have a new version of a central heating control system (CHCSV10).
CHCSV10 is installed in conjunction with the physical central heating system and automates and controls the heating processes. Your job is to oversee modelling of the real-time software required for the CHCSV10.
CHCSV10 will allow a single user to program, automate and monitor all aspects of the central heating of a facility. To achieve this, CHCSV10 requires the installation of other components of the central heating system including a heating unit, fan, gas supply, ducts and duct piping, temperature detector, clock, control panel and display.
Below is a schematic diagram (excluding duct piping) of an installed central heating unit package with WiFi connectivity.
Assessable Tasks/Requirements
You are required to demonstrate an understanding of particular concepts covered in lectures, tutorials, laboratories and reading to provide the specification requested. This may require further reading and research beyond
the material discussed in class.
Your task is to complete a Real-Time Structured Analysis Specification for the CHCSV10. You analysis should include the following components:
1. An External Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) indicating relationships of the CHCSV10 and the other external entities in the system. You do not need to include attributes of the entities on the ERD, just the relationships and their cardinality and modality.
2. Data and Control Flow Diagrams (DFD/CFDs) - to sufficient detail that only a single task is carried out by each process at the lowest level (Do not however model the functionality of the System Clock - Configure and Set Time, Configure Temperature Detector, Set Heating Program processes; just have a process for each). You should show the control events/flows and data flows on the same diagrams. Use the real-time extensions for control flows etc shown in the lecture notes (slides 15-17 from week 3). You need to determine when and where events will occur. For example, whenever a piece of data becomes available it may need a control event to let the system know that it is available. These events must be clearly shown in these DFD/CFD diagrams and then handled in the CSPEC.
3. Process specifications (PSPECs) - a pseudo-code or similar design language specification is required for each process at the lowest level. A narrative description alone will not be considered sufficient.
4. Control Specifications (CSPECs) - use combinational or sequential FSMs as required, presented in an appropriate format. The idea is that the CSPEC will completely describe how each and every event or control flow is handled in the system. You need to provide both "Process Activation Table" and "State Machine Diagram" as appropriate.
5. A Data Dictionary is required to adequately describe each name or special term used in the analysis. This includes process names, data flow names, data stores, control flow names, control stores and events.
You should include sufficient detail to allow the system to handle all the monitoring and control aspects specified in the Detailed Description section of this document (and any further aspects you consider essential). If you think further information is required make reasonable assumptions and clearly state these in the submission.