Condition/event signal interfaces for block diagram modeling and analysis of hybrid systems

A block diagram methodology is introduced for modeling hybrid systems with well-defined continuous-time signal connections between the discrete and continuous subsystem blocks. This facilitates the construction of models of hybrid systems using standard tools for computer-aided system analysis, design, and simulation. The problem of creating strictly discrete models of the complete hybrid system dynamics is considered using the formalism of condition/event signals and systems. A new approach to capturing continuous system dynamics in discrete models is proposed based on existing technology for Boolean function representation and analysis. The approach is illustrated for a standard chemical process