S. M. Krainov - Post-Senior Deputy of Scientific-Production Sector, All-Russian Scientific Research Institute «Signal» JSC «VNII»Signal» (Kovrov, Vladimir region). E-mail: larry_54@mail.ru

It is impossible to automate the process of collection, processing and transmission of data on one-s own forces (facilities) state, on enemy reconnaissance objects and to accomplish calculations during training and realizing fire missions without creation of an on-board information and computing system (ICS) on artillery command vehicles. In the ICS a variety of procedures can be executed simultaneously including both computing processes and different synchronization operations of data management and transmission. Due to a technology variety of ICS, designing undertime, high creation and implementation costs, ICS development demands a wide application of simulation methods in all design stages. These methods allow predicting the ICS qualitative and quantitative behavior and avoiding supplementary costs, time and work expenditures at its realization. That is why ICS operation simulation is important, as it should give a designer a chance to estimate a time of task solution as well as serviced calls flow, sizes of request queues for service from ICS elements and a throughput of data communication channel (DCC). Simultaneously, on the basis of analysis of critical parameters of ICS elements (load, performance, latency, data processing etc.) and changeable input and output data flows, one should determine system operation modes ensuring its operation performance. Regardless of the ICS designing mode, one of the first stages of simulation is creation of a conceptual model of a simulation object. This stage implies determination of a formalization language and simulation management mode, list of parameters and simulation variables, criteria of system operation performance. Conceptual model creation also implies introduction of algorithms of system elements - behavior and interaction of the elements among themselves. The mathematical apparatus of E-networks theory is the most convenient apparatus for realizing a formalization and software simulation of the ICS in order to analyse its behavior using models and to estimate the effectiveness of separate components and the whole system. The E-networks theory being the development of a mathematical apparatus of Petri-networks provides accessible mathematical and graphical tools for modelling and analysis of versatile discrete information and computing systems. Against Petri-networks, E-networks allow expressing not only parallel processes dynamics, but also processes management and related data conversion procedures. The E-networks conceptual model of ICS operation with an arbitrary access of devices to the interfacility data communication channel allows simulating and analysing communication processes between the ICS devices. Therewith, an advantage of the presented conceptual model consists in the possibility to analyze time-dependent properties and tasks in the ICS connected with parallel operation processes of system elements. Later on during simulation the presented conceptual model of ICS operation based on the E-networks theory allows for the analyst to estimate the influence of input data flow intensity on ICS operation parameters and to justify the choice of required quantity of devices in the system to realize the specified requirements. Moreover, this model allows simulating not only communication processes of devices with an arbitrary access to the data communication channel, but also information and computing algorithms for the whole system.