A Software Architecture for Interoperable, Evolvable, Near Real-Time Simulations

An architecture based on the design concept of data communication encapsulation via a layer of abstraction has been developed for simulations to interoperate asynchronously in near real time. It has been used to develop ground vehicle simulations for a variety of Army programs. One benefit is that resulting simulations are interoperable and evolvable to accommodate technological and methodological advances in hardware and software. The development pro cess also benefits, because in order to effectively utilize the architecture, designers must first specify all subsystem interactions. This facili tates requirements-to-design mapping before coding, reduces rework during system integra tion, and promotes designing using application domain concepts.