Unit 38 Analytic Architecture Design Assignment Brief 2026
| Qualification | Pearson BTEC Levels 4 and 5 Higher Nationals in Computing |
| Unit Number | 38 |
| Unit Title | Analytic Architecture Design |
| Unit code | T/618/7461 |
| Unit type | Optional |
| Unit level | 5 |
| Credit value | 15 |
Introduction
Aircraft, trains and other high-tech machines improve our quality of life – none of these could function without automatic systems. The ability to analyse and design an automatic system is a vital subject. Architecture Analysis & Design Language (AADL) is designed for the specification, analysis, automated integration and code generation of real-time, performance-critical (timing, safety, scheduling ability, fault tolerant, security etc.) distributed computer systems.
This unit introduces students to the AADL. It introduces the language and AADL specifications, which is defined in the standards of SAE International. The SAE International AADL standard provides formal modelling concepts for the description and analysis of application systems architecture in terms of distinct components and their interactions. Within the AADL, a component is characterised by its identity, possible interfaces with other components, distinguishing properties, sub-components and their interactions. The AADL is a useful tool to model and analyse existing systems and to design and integrate new systems.
Among the topics included in this unit are: AADL overview, system models and specification, security, components (software components, execution platform components), structure and instantiation, mode and flow, and properties.
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to describe the abstractions that support the specification of component interactions; present the specification of alternative operational states of a system; understand the use of the AADL flows concept and present examples of the specification of abstract flows throughout a system and describe the constructs for organising an AADL specification. It includes examples of AADL architectural pattern sets. Students will develop skills such as communication literacy, critical thinking, analysis, reasoning and interpretation, which are crucial for gaining employment and developing academic competence.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit students will be able to:
LO1 Explore detailed and problem-oriented material to gain a conceptual overview of the AADL abstractions for a given function
LO2 Demonstrate the software component and execution platform component abstractions for a system
LO3 Design composite systems and their instances, and describe the abstractions that support the specification of component interactions
LO4 Show the specification of alternative operational states of a system through AADL flow concepts for a composite system.
Essential Content
LO1 Explore detailed and problem-oriented material to gain a conceptual overview of the AADL abstractions for a given function.
AADL overview:
Concept, history, applications.
Abstractions:
Basic component of AADL, utilisation of AADL.
System models and specification:
Introduction to architectural analysis and AADL architecture.
LO2 Demonstrate the software component and execution platform component abstractions for a system
Semantics:
Textual representation, graphical representation, how to define software and hardware components and their interactions, top component; root system, other component clusters: hardware, software, and hybrid.
Software components:
Introduction to the AADL software component, the way to describe data, subprogram and thread, different representations of software component.
Execution platform component:
Introduction to the AADL hardware component, the way to describe processor, memory, bus and device, different representations of software component.
LO3 Design composite systems and their instances, and describe the abstractions that support the specification of component interactions
System abstraction:
Textual and graphical representations of system.
System instance:
The way to create system instance and implementation.
Component interactions:
Introduction to the connection between interface elements, implement the port and the access in the system design.
Sub-component:
Introduction to implementation of the sub-components in system and the access of data in difference sub-components.
Software components:
Implementation of software components in system design.
Execution platform components:
Implementation of execution platform components in system design.
Benefits of AADL:
Analyses the system structure and runtime behaviour.
Complements functional simulation.
Allows early and life-cycle tracking of modelling and analysis.
Provides a standard with precise syntax and semantics for performance-critical systems.
Able to model large-scale multi aspect architectures into a single analysable model capable of incremental refinement.
LO4 Show the specification of alternative operational states of a system through AADL flow concepts for a composite system
Modes and flow:
Properties, structure and instantiation.
Mode specifications:
Basic introduction to the modes and the representations of modes.
Mode configurations:
Thread with control system, modes in calls sequences.
Flow declarations:
Introduction basic flow concept and element.
Flow paths:
Flow paths of different components in flow design, including secure features.
Property declarations:
Idea of property and declarations about the property. System abstraction.
Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria
| Pass | Merit | Distinction |
| LO1 Explore detailed and problem-oriented material to gain a conceptual overview of the AADL abstractions for a given function. |
LO1 and LO2 D1 Critically analyse components, physical design and logical elements of the AADL process with reference to the system built. |
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| P1 Demonstrate the basic concept of elements and methods of AADL using an example.
P2 Design a system using AADL to implement a specific function. M1 Build a system using AADL to implement a specific function. M2 Differentiate between the different AADL representations including advantages and disadvantages. |
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| LO2 Demonstrate the software component and execution platform component abstractions for a system |
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| P3 Present a software component and execution platform components in a system using different representations. | M3 Assemble components under AADL specification.
M4 Implement different components in a system. |
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| Pass | Merit | Distinction |
| LO3 Design composite systems and their instances, and describe the abstractions that support the specification of component interactions |
LO3 and LO4 D2 Evaluate the composite system designed, the flow methods and selection of elements used including the refinement produced from organising an AADL specification. |
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| P4 Design a composite system that consists of various types of elements showing the design logic and the relationships between components in the design process.
P5 Discuss the strong and weak points of the designed system. |
M5 Analyse the data communication in the whole system including data interaction processes between components. | |
| LO4 Show the specification of alternative operational states of a system through AADL flow concepts for a composite system | ||
| P6 Redesign the composite system in flow and modes format.
P7 Show different flows and identify the operating process for the composite system. |
M6 Produce relevant information in design process of flow, including ideas and selection of elements. | |
Recommended Resources
Textbooks
Feiler, P., Lewis, B., Vestal, S. and Colbert, E. (2005) An Overview of the SAE Architecture Analysis & Design Language (AADL) Standard: A Basis for Model-Based Architecture-Driven Embedded Systems Engineering. 1st edn. Springer.
Gluch, D. and Feiler, P. (2012) Model-Based Engineering with AADL: An Introduction to the SAE Architecture Analysis & Design Language. 1st edn. Addison-Wesley Professional.
Kordon, F., Hugues, J., Canals, A. and Dohet, A. (2013) Embedded Systems: Analysis and Modeling with SysML, UML and AADL. 1st edn. Wiley-ISTE.
Links
This unit links to the following related units:
Unit 20: Applied Programming and Design Principles.
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