36 Questions
What is the purpose of Viewpoint Analysis (VPA)?
To identify, structure, and document the requirements of a system.
What does the Viewpoint Structure Chart depict?
A hierarchical decomposition of the system functionality and its impact on non-functional requirements.
What are the benefits of Viewpoint Analysis?
- A simple way to diagrammatically show the hierarchy/structure of functional and non-functional requirements. 2. A diagrammatic way of highlighting missing requirements from the original customer requirements.
What does the Operational Requirement of a system define?
The major purpose of the system along with any overarching constraints.
What does Viewpoint Analysis help to highlight in terms of requirements?
Missing requirements from the original customer requirements.
What is the purpose of Viewpoint Analysis?
To help understand and develop a set of requirements.
When is Viewpoint Analysis particularly useful?
When there is limited information from the customer or too many requirements at multiple levels.
What are the potential outcomes of Viewpoint Analysis?
Structuring the concept design, project management, and gaining more understanding about the prime system and customer expectations.
How many members are recommended for a VPA team?
Four to eight members.
Why is it necessary to have a complete, consistent, and unambiguous set of system requirements?
To serve as the foundation for system design.
Why is it important for the team to consider what will happen to the prime system throughout its life?
To effectively identify and capture the life cycle of the prime system, including activities such as maintenance and disposal.
What are the concerns may there be from stakeholders in a Viewpoint Analysis
Various requirements related to design, operation, maintenance, disposal, user input, safety, and many others.
What is the main task of the Control Engineers in the mechatronic system described in the text?
User interface
What is the significance of the black box approach in functional design?
Concentrate on what design has to achieve - ‘the function’ = black box
What is the purpose of the FMEA - Failure Mode and Effect Analysis?
To identify potential failure modes and their effects
Why is it important to consider the wider system and environment in Viewpoint Analysis?
To highlight the interactions and dependencies of the system with its environment
What does the black box approach in functional design focus on?
The function of the design and its sub-functions
How does the FMEA help in risk management?
By identifying potential failure modes, causes, and effects
What is the main focus of the black box approach in functional design?
Concentrating on what the design has to achieve
Why is it important to have a complete, consistent, and unambiguous set of system requirements?
To ensure the successful development and operation of the system
What is Functional Design?
Functional design involves defining the required function of a product or system.
How does Functional Design simplify the design process?
By minimizing unnecessary functions to reduce the cost of the product and ensuring the best use of components and manufacturing.
What is the importance of clarity of function in Functional Design?
Clarity of function in Functional Design ensures intuitive use, prediction of performance, and ease of use.
Explain the difference between primary and secondary functions in Functional Design.
Primary functions are intentional behaviors, while secondary functions are side effects or unrelated considerations.
What is the External (or Bounding) Viewpoint in Stakeholder viewpoints?
The External viewpoint highlights the functionality of the prime system and defines the system of interest.
What is the purpose of the Function-Means Tree?
The Function-Means Tree is used to focus on what a design must achieve and possible ways of achieving it, by listing inputs and outputs in an organized manner.
What is the top level of the Function-Means Tree?
The top level represents the basic function to be met, such as heating water, pressing clothes, or taking photos.
How does the Function-Means Tree define the required actions?
It defines what needs to be done and how it can be done.
What is the purpose of the Means by which primary function might be implemented in the Function-Means Tree?
It identifies the methods by which the primary function can be achieved.
Explain the alternating levels in the Function-Means Tree.
The succeeding levels alternate between the means by which the primary function might be implemented and the secondary functions necessary by those means.
What is the flow chart symbol for "Start/End"
A rectangle with round corners
What is the flow chart symbol for "Process"
A rectangle
What is the flow chart symbol for "Desicion"
A rhombus
What is the flow chart symbol for "Sub Function"
A rectangle with 2 columns at each side
What is the flow chart symbol for "Input/Output"
A parallelogram
What are "Flowcharts" used for?
Flowcharts are algorithmic sequences that display process steps in relation to decision making
Study Notes
- Viewpoint Analysis (VPA) is a tool used to identify, structure, and document the requirements of a system.
- The outcome of VPA is a Viewpoint Structure Chart, which presents a hierarchical decomposition of system functionality and how non-functional requirements impact and constraint it.
- VPA benefits include a simple way to show the hierarchy of functional and non-functional requirements, highlighting missing requirements, encouraging consideration of the wider system, and aiding in project management and concept design.
- VPA is driven by three facts: customers do not provide complete or consistent requirements, every system has multiple stakeholders, and understanding a complex situation requires multiple perspectives.
- VPA is most useful when there is limited information from the customer or when dealing with numerous requirements.
- The VPA team should be composed of individuals with good knowledge of existing systems, expected usage profiles, and life cycles of similar systems, ideally facilitated by a VPA craftsman.
- VPA consists of two phases: a divergent thinking phase for generating system requirements using brainstorming, and a convergent thinking phase for structuring and making sense of the output by looking at functional and non-functional viewpoints.
- To conduct a VPA, the team follows a process including requirements generation, viewpoint separation, functional viewpoint structuring, functional viewpoint grouping, creating a viewpoint structure chart, and non-functional viewpoint structuring.
- In the requirements generation step, the team aims to write down all possible requirements for the prime system throughout its anticipated life cycle, supplementing customer requirements with team expertise and logical thought.
- The viewpoint bubble diagram is used to capture all requirements, including those not expressed by the customer, and is called a "bubble" diagram due to each requirement being captured in its own bubble or sticky note.
Learn about the process and benefits of Viewpoint Analysis (VPA) for identifying, structuring, and documenting system requirements. Understand the phases, team composition, and steps involved in conducting a VPA to generate functional and non-functional viewpoints.
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