The use of the IEEE HLA standard to tackle interoperability issues between heterogeneous components

Classical simulation methods become not flexible and performant enough in complex models, necessitating the use of a distributed simulation technique to split the load and heterogeneity into separate sub-components and manage the simulation time between them. In this type of simulation, interoperability and reusability issues arise and should be addressed. The IEEE High-Level Architecture (HLA) standard for distributed simulation emphasizes federates interoperability and reusability, as well as time management and advanced data distribution techniques. This paper presents the methodologies and techniques used to develop the HLA federates, as part of the Simulation Exploration Experience (SEE) project, to virtually recreate a mission on the moon. This project is organized by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO). For each SEE component, an HLA interface was developed to make it compliant with other SEE federates and reusable during the simulation run. Based on HLA mechanisms, heterogeneous components with an HLA interface were able to interexchange objects/attributes and interactions/parameters.