A comprehensive co-simulation platform for cyber-physical systems

Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) are the synergy of the physical world with the cyber world. CPSs will bring about unprecedented applications that will enable the monitoring and controlling of the physical environments. CPSs' further progress necessitates the availability of co-simulation platforms that can capture both the physical and the communication dynamics. In this paper, we build on our previous experiences to build a comprehensive co-simulation platform for CPSs. The newly developed platform enjoys several indispensable features. In the process of discussing the steps to engineer the platform, we present several design alternatives that might prove beneficial in other future tools that combine different simulator environments. We discuss thoroughly why we rule in or rule out each of such alternatives. Then, we validate the developed platform to make sure it works correctly. Finally, we present demonstrative examples showing the capabilities of the platform. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.