simbIoTe: A Simulator for Building Cyber-Physical System and Internet of Things Environments

Simulation of physical environments during the development of Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems (ICPS) offers a way to rapidly validate control interactions. Since production hardware for both aerospace and industrial machinery is not always immediately available, simulation allows software development to begin earlier on safety-critical projects. This study presents the early-stage design thinking that influenced the development of our simbIoTe physical environment simulator. This tool allows engineers to rapidly create realistic simulations that can interact with their ICPS during development. Aspects of the simbIoTe architecture are detailed as well as the Views and Beyond methodology adopted by the designers. Two case studies that evaluated the first prototypes of the simulator are discussed. The future research directions outline how simbIoTe will be evolved into a mature Open Source simulation development platform to foster robust and resilient ICPS design practices.