Universal Systems Language for Preventative Systems Engineering
Margaret H. Hamilton, William R. Hackler · 2007
This paper is about a universal systems language based on a general systems theory, in large part, derived and evolved from lessons learned based on an empirical study of the Apollo on-board flight software effort. The language, 001AXES, was created for designing systems and building software to address problems considered next to impossible to solve, if not impossible, with traditional approaches, at least in the foreseeable future. It helps to suspend any and all preconceived notions when first introduced to it and the mathematical theory behind it, because it is a world unto itself—a complete new way to think about systems and software. With this approach, instead of object oriented and model driven systems the designer thinks in terms of system oriented objects and system driven models. Much of what seems counter intuitive with traditional approaches, that tend to be software centric, becomes intuitive with this system centric approach. How to minimize errors and maximize integration of systems to software, reuse, open architectures, evolvable systems, and productivity in a system's development becomes better understood; this understanding can be used as a means to an end—designing better systems; building better software. 001AXES, its preventative paradigm, and how it is used to address today's pressing system engineering issues will be discussed. Examples are taken from research being done for military systems; not heretofore addressed by traditional approaches.