Overview

Introduction

Capability Architect is a requirements development tool designed to support the application of the systems engineering method to complex projects. The tool provides an intuitive front-end application that allows you to add key systems engineering artefacts such as functions, requirements and components, and link them together in a systematic way. This provides a structured environment in which strict traceability can be maintained from requirements onto design components. At any time in the design process you can generate key engineering documents from a suite of Capability Architect templates using a ‘one-click’ approach.

Capability Architect stores the information in a back-end relational database. You can either use a single file, in Microsoft Access format, or you can connect to a Microsoft SQL Server.  For this course, we will use Microsoft Access format files.

Purpose

The purpose of this tutorial is to provide an opportunity for you to familiarise yourself with how Capability Architect implements certain systems engineering ideas. You will do this by designing a simple alarm system. You should take note of the various menu options and the processes for adding, removing, linking and editing nodes in the software that represent engineering elements in the design. You will also experiment with some of the diagramming functions.

Outcome

The outcome of this tutorial will be a small systems engineering model that depicts some elements of a simple alarm system. You will then generate a System Description Document to show how you can share the information with colleagues.