Consistency of multiple system engineering models of a fixed wing drone

Mechatronic system design requires different engineering domains to create specific models. These models aim to represent the system towards various intents, such as communication or assessment. With the increase of complexity in systems, it is more likely that some models will have elements in contradiction with others. Inconsistencies between the models could lead to inaccurate system representation and increased costs in the case of late detection of these inconsistencies. As we want the models to represent the system accurately, there is a need for consistency assessments between them. Different methodologies exist to assert structural consistency between two system engineering models. This paper presents the consistency analysis of multiple system engineering models of an applicative example: a fixed-wing drone. We consider architecture models, models for scenarios, multi-physics models, and safety models. We then assert consistency between these models through the SmartSync tool by proposing a methodology where we assert the consistency of each domain-specific model with the architecture model. This methodology allows us to ensure the global consistency of our design with a lower number of comparisons than if we were to compare every possible combination of models. We also show the need for iterations in this process, as the consistency should be asserted again after model modifications.