Mixture models for system-level communication analysis at higher levels of abstraction

System-level design (SLD) provides a solution to the challenge of increasing design complexity and time-to-market pressure in modern embedded system designs. In this paper, we propose a novel system-level approach to communication architecture modeling, which was not yet well addressed in existing SLD methodologies. In particular, we show how to develop statistical models for communication architectures. These new models are capable of capturing communication details at higher abstraction levels than previously possible. We demonstrate how to use the mean-square-error as a tool for developing these models, and show where to integrate these models in the design process.