Re-entry (2020-07-18)
Over the last few days, I’ve been trying to re-engage with the site after an 18-month diversion into the CBM page on Wikipedia. Naturally, I wanted to find some simple stuff at first, and update the live site from the CMS. Just as naturally, I messed that up and broke the site for a few... read more
Static (2019-05-06)
The second phase of site redesign is complete, incorporating modest changes in organization and navigation and a radical change in the deployment mechanism. It only took about three months. Actually…it took only about one month. It took about two months to figure out how to do it all while minimizing the disruption. Organizationally, the site... read more
CBM Requirements (2018-11-29)
Release 2 on the CBM: a summary of the qualification requirements. Again, mostly for reference in future examples. Qualification Requirements of the Common Berthing Mechanism More to come.
First Berth (2018-11-13)
In a significant diversion, I’ve been boot-strapping a modification to Wikipedia’s article on the Common Berthing Mechanism, which I find woefully modest. The formatting and editorial style of Wikipedia are rather constraining, so I’m using this site to prototype the material. That will also provide me with additional grist for examples down the road. I’ve... read more
On Being Reasonable (2018-10-12)
Today sees the revision of the thing I think I know about cognition, and four more things I think I know about it: reasoning, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, and abductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is, of course, the preferred Engineering approach to developing data in support of both derivation and verification practices. I’ve added a very... read more
Updating Topical Parameterization (2018-08-05)
As previously discussed (six months ago!), I’ve made a pass through the material in order to ensure a reasonable consistency in how the word “characteristic” is used. Naturally, that turned out to be more work than I thought it would be1. I’ve tweaked many pages and a few definitions to clarify concepts about describing systems... read more
Changing What I Think I Know (2018-03-16)
Over the years, I’ve developed some strong opinions about what requirements are, and how they should be expressed. It is (therefore) with no small amount of emotional turmoil that I have arrived at a place where I need to change that opinion. I was forced to do so in order to avoid having to explain... read more
Preconditioning Example (2018-02-28)
An example of classification in the requirements context has been released here. Note that the example does not attempt to follow all the way through to a final set of requirements, let alone a comprehensive procedure, both of which would be far beyond my personal technical scope. It addresses only the initial steps and thought... read more
Classification During Requirements Compilation (2018-02-26)
The subject page was released here today. It expands a little bit on the previous treatment of that subject, which was embedded in the general page on requirements compilation, which has been revised to point to the new page. My primary rationale for extracting that sub-topic into its own page is that the compilation page itself... read more
On Being Determined (2018-02-25)
Several pages were released today, all of which were spawned from an on-going example of requirements compilation. They include Things I Think I Know about Solicitation, Pricing Instructions, Selection Criteria, and related Requests for Information, Quote, and Proposal. With any luck, these will be followed (eventually) by some supporting exegeses. It might seem strange that... read more
Configuration Management Foundation (2018-02-03)
I do not intend to try describing all of the Configuration Management processes that I’ve encountered over the years. However, several of them are important to System Engineering, and I’ve drafted a brief introduction to them here. The page isn’t very long, detailed, or thorough. It does, however tie several loose ends together, and sets... read more
Consolidation (2018-01-28)
Today marks a major overhaul of this site: I have consolidated all three branches (Things I Think I Know, the Extended Verification Methods, and the Exegeses) into a single framework under the Exegeses URL. The other two sites are now accessible only as part of this one (TITIK, and EVM); when accessed through their original URL’s,... read more
Compilation and Technical Requirements (2018-01-18)
Wherein I scramble. Again. read more
Traceability (2018-01-15)
I’ve been working on another verification example, analyzing US regulatory requirements for proving (and advertising) fuel efficiency. As usual, diversion has happened: I found myself deeply involved in a process called “requirements compilation”, so temporarily set aside the example in order to deal with that. The example will then address both compilation and verification methods,... read more
On Verification (2017-11-03)
Being yet another in a long series of digressions and distractions, wherein I had to go deal with the very most basic concepts of Verification. And also, some other stuff. read more
A model page (2017-09-04)
It will (I hope) be easier to discuss the relationship between “function” and “performance” if I can refer to some concepts about models in the System Engineering context: what they are and what general types are of interest. In the interest thereof…a brief discussion about models. More to come.
Function Fun (2017-08-26)
Five new pages were released today, all pertaining to very basic developmental operations in the Function Domain: Defining Functions is a “foundational page” addressing how functions are described; Functional Flow Block Diagrams (FFBD) describes one of many options for depicting and documenting functions and the relationships between them; Air Compressor Functional Flow Block Diagram Development is an... read more
Development Cycle (4) (2017-03-06)
Wherein I lose a game of chicken with myself. read more
Getting Downright Right (2017-02-23)
Orthogonality stuff. read more
That Didn’t Hurt As Much As I Thought It Might (2017-02-11)
In an astonishing break with recent precedent, a reasonable cut at the page on topical parameterization took just a single afternoon. It helped that the month (±) spent on the examples forced me to actually organize my thoughts on technique. I actually got a final coat of wax on that workbench top, too:More to come.
I Thought I’d Never Get This Done (2017-02-10)
At long last, I finished (-ish) a reasonable cut at a third example of Topical Parameterization, this one on retention mechanisms for spacecraft deployables. Being derived from a General Specification, it was particularly complicated. Several topics were a bit abstract, and required a job of work in order to derive explicit parameters, spawning a couple of subordinate... read more
Qualitative Requirement Example (2017-01-17)
Wherein Another Digression Strikes read more
A Third Example (2016-12-24)
Not the first time I've hurt my head. read more
Value Added (2016-12-16)
Well, that might not actually be for me to decide. read more
Startup Transient (3) (2016-12-14)
Another example, and a page on relational table design criteria. read more
Startup Transient (2) (2016-12-09)
As is usually the case, I’ve stopped in the middle of writing an explanation in order to try out what I’ve already written. More often than not, such mid-course correction slows my progress a bit. Hopefully, it will result in reaching a competent finish earlier than would be the case if I waited until the... read more
Startup Transient In Progress (1) (2016-12-05)
Wherein I wrestle with distractions while trying to get started. read more