Model development of MIMO nets: a H-EPN based approach

The construction and analysis of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) subnets is discussed. It is shown that hierarchical time-extended Petri nets (H-EPNs) allow the development of structured MIMO subnets through the use of bottom-up Petri net synthesis techniques. The paper analyzes Petri net extensions that allow a truly hybrid approach to Petri net based systems modeling, analysis and development. The case study emphasizes the advantage of the activator arc extension in studying issues such as static priority scheduling, dynamic failure recognition, and rescheduling in manufacturing systems. The SPNP package, suitably modified to handle the H-EPN extensions, is used to analyze the properties of the derived H-EPN model