MBSE Tool Review: Engineering Systems Design Rhapsody
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Usability | |
| Function: Draw SysML | |
| Function: Simulate / Execute SysML | |
| Team Model & Interop | |
| Value | |
| TOTAL | |
0 ratings
- Strong support for UML/SysML State Machine diagram simulation and execution.
- Supports plugins for integration with 3rd-party Parametric modeling tools (e.g., MATLAB, Mathematica)
- Supports plugins for integration with Requirements Management tools (e.g., DOORS, RequisitePro)
- UX tends to be dated and unintuitive, so it is a mediocre SysML drawing tool
- Support for Activity and Sequence diagrams is relatively weak compared with State Machine diagrams
- Tool is relatively expensive, and cost of plugins is excessive
- XMI interoperability does not work as advertised with competitive tools
- Rough handling, underpowered, and overpriced when compared with competition
Review: Engineering Systems Design Rhapsody - MBSE & SysML Support
- Product Name: Engineering Systems Design Rhapsody (formerly Rational Rhapsody)
- Brand: IBM Rational
- Description: SysML architecture modeling tool for MBSE applications. Optional plugin support for behavioral and parametric simulations.
- Reviewer: Editor, MBSEtoolreviews.com
- Date: 01/05/2023
- Review Summary:
This Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tool review features Rational Rhapsody Designer for MBSE applications. The review evaluates Rhapsody's MBSE and SysML modeling capabilities using the following weighted evaluation criteria: Usability, Major Functions (Drawing, Simulation & Execution), Standards & Interoperability, Team Modeling & Tech Support, and Value.
Rhapsody is a MBSE tool that provides strong support for UML/SysML State Machine diagram syntax and semantics, including State Machine simulation and execution. In contrast, Rhapsody's support for Activity and Sequence diagrams is relatively weak. Since Rhapsody's UI is unintuitive and dated, it tends to be mediocre SysML drawing tool. Rhapsody offers proprietary plugins to integrate with Requirements Management tools (e.g., DOORS) and Simulation tools (MATLAB/Simulink).
Shortcomings include, but are not limited to, unintuitive UI, bias towards State Machine diagram syntax and semantics, Activity diagrams do not nest cleanly, relatively expensive.
As long as you can tolerate Rhapsody's relatively high price and mediocre drawing capabilities, it's a reasonable choice as MBSE tool with superior model-based simulation and execution.
- Editor Rating: 3.1 / 5 Stars
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