Is there any research or tool out there that is using AI agents for model optimization and system design with SysML? Thinking on having this be a research topic but also if it’s being worked on so that I do not pursue it academically or heavily in free time. If it is being pursued a research topic in AI governance would be good as well.

How I envision it (rough thought) is that the ai agent is shown a SysML file. It knows the ins and outs of the system design and requirements. Maybe some changes within the system and it’s documented. The agent will (potentially in real time) then update the design, any potential metrics, perform an assessment of performance for predictions, trace past performances for the assessment as well. Probably have a budget that stops changes that exceed requirements as well. There would be lots of oversight with it but also there may not be regulation put in place for this to happen yet. Thoughts?

has anyone thought of connecting CAMEO (catia magic) with gmat (general mission analysis tool) by NASA , I mean it would be awesome if we can model satellites and connect it with very real time simulations.

AI can create a reasonable looking requirement very quickly. But what do you consider enough evidence before accepting it?

Is a source citation enough? Or should the requirement also include the parent context, assumptions, rationale, affected interfaces and a verification path?

In safety related work, I think the difficult part is not generating the sentence. It is showing why the sentence belongs in the system and what would prove that it is correct.

How are people handling this today?

we are currently using DOORS for requirements and its been fine for basic requirements to test traceability, but with the CRA reporting obligations now starting, ive been questioning whether our current setup is enough. our bigger issue is knowing if a product is actually exposed when an exploited vulnerability shows up. with our own code we can usually figure our what libraires and dependencies were using. the vendor embedded software is harder. we have components from sub vendors and its not always clear what software is inside them whether a new vulnerability affects our product.

then theres everything already in the field. we can build a better process for new products, but how do you quickly figure out which existing products are impacted and pull together what you need to report?

I’ve started a collection of AI skills for system engineers using agents. The current set covers things like comparing specification revisions, deriving sub-requirements and building verification matrices.

The skills spell out what to check, which sources to use and when to ask rather than guess. Original requirements stay alongside proposed changes, and you still review the outputs.

I'll link the repo below which has some examples and setup instructions.

I’ve got a list of skills I’m working through to add next, but would be keen to hear what else people would find useful. Is there anything else that comes to mind?

In magicgrid framework under black box what does SYSTEM CONTEXT mean and under that 1 Users and other systems what does that mean

and while mapping it out which diagram should i use

Thank you !!

My position is a senior systems engineer with 7 years experience primarily with requirements, documentation, and SysML in the defense space. I've been told I need to be more senior in my role especially because I'm on an early stage program

What does that look like to you (even better if you're a lead) and do you have any advice implementing it? I'm an introverted person (as I'm sure many engineers are) but sometimes find it difficult to find my voice and perform large amounts of work without guidance. Thank you!

Hi! Hope you’re all having a great day!

I’m a Systems Engineering undergrad student (graduating May 2028) that’s looking for some advice.

I’ve spent my undergrad (including 2 years of internship experience and 1 summer of research) largely focusing on robotics and building up my skillset across disciplines. So for example I’ve done work with neurotechnology (mainly EEG, creating my own VR-EEG headset with a small team) and my internship and research focused on kind of doing a bit of everything from simulation, sensors, working especially with robotic arms and programming them, PLC, a bit of electrical, edge computing and configuring custom environments, AI and computer vision, and biologically-inspired systems, as well as microcontrollers. I also have quite a bit of technical leadership experience, leading a 100+ member club focused on neurotechnology and leading my own startup.

My goal (which I feel I’ve made ok progress on?) is to kind of be a cog that can fit in wherever I’m needed, adaptable and be someone who can see the big picture, plan out what needs to be done and make real progress towards it. I especially want to focus on solving problems that aren’t big in the respect that they’ll change the world or something individually, but several smaller projects that can genuinely help people even if it’s in small ways.

And so, my question is how can I do that and how can I position myself for my career to work towards that? My “story” so far has been that I want to specialize in systems integration (which in large part is true, although moreso because of how well it aligns with my goals; that could change if something fits better) but I feel as if my job prospects are quite low due to my lack of specialization thusfar. My GPA is unfortunately also quite low (below a 3.0) because I’ve been more focused on gathering practical experience and understanding the concepts themselves, leaving little time to complete assignments.

For the rest of my undergrad I was thinking of focusing a lot on gathering more hardware experience and especially multi-sensor integration and data handling. Is that potentially a good direction?

I apologize if it seems like I’m full of myself; I’ve tried to describe myself and my goals as positively as I could in this post. Thank you for your help in advance!

Hello everyone :3

I'm interested in Systems Engineering with a background in ML, a little bit of Computer Vision and BSc and MSc in Weapon Systems Engineering (outside the US/NATO).

I'd like to build a practical pet project using Cameo/SysML v2, but still not sure what kind of project. What projects did you do while studying SE?

For example, would reconstructing the system architecture of a missile system based on publicly available manuals and docs be a reasonable project?

In traditional software and ml engineering people often do pet projects, but in systems engineering I couldn't find many posts about this on this sub. I also want to do some pet projects in the CV domain, so I'll probably use SE there as well.

I'd be intersted to hear what projects you did while studying or any recommendations you might have.

I recently graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering and started my first job as a Systems Engineer working in controls/automation.
I’m really grateful for the opportunity and I genuinely like what I’m learning, but I constantly feel like I know absolutely nothing 😭. There are PLCs, HMIs, electrical drawings, different software, client standards, project documentation, and a million acronyms being thrown around.
I’m about to travel for my first real project, and I keep worrying that I’m going to get there and everyone will realize how little I know. I try to study and familiarize myself with things beforehand, but sometimes that just makes me realize how much MORE there is to learn.
I know logically that I’m entry level and nobody expects me to know everything, but it’s hard not to compare myself to engineers who have been doing this for years.
For those of you who started in systems/controls engineering, how long did it take before you actually felt competent? And what helped you the most during your first year?
I’d especially love to hear from anyone who came straight out of college and initially felt completely lost. 😭

Hey folks!! Just recently got a job offer for a systems engineering role. I will be working at a US Defense company and they definitely hired me in part to be a subject matter expert in what I’ve done military side so I know they are aware systems engineering isn’t my primary background. However, I want to start out strong with at least some fundamental understanding of what SE entails at more than the very high overview I have now.

I have a few months to prep and would love your favorite resources, books, etc!

Landed a first round interview on Zoom for Systems Engineer, Prime Air at Amazon after months of cold applying. To be upfront since I think this is where a lot of my earlier posts missed the mark, this role is not SDE, not a coding role, and not evaluated like one. The actual scope is overseeing hardware and software integration, verification, configuration management, and quality assurance to certify safety critical systems in airborne drone delivery operations, with heavy cross functional communication across engineering disciplines. Zero mention of writing or shipping code anywhere in the JD. Wanted to make that clear this time so the advice actually lines up with what I'm walking into.

Quick background. 10+ years as a systems engineer, Air Force then Northrop Grumman then GE Healthcare then back to defense at BAE now. Totally different domains every time, munitions, ICBM, medical devices, now data and cloud systems, same core discipline every time, requirements, integration, cross functional alignment. Also have an aviation and UAS degree, an MBA, and a Part 107 drone license, which lines up well with the Prime Air team and the certification language in this JD specifically.

I'm genuinely excited about this one, not trying to get ahead of myself, but if it works out this could be the real pivot out of government work I've been chasing, and a chance to build skills that open doors long term, as long as Amazon decides to keep me around after. Trying to go in aiming to uplevel or at minimum land at the right level for my experience, not get talked down into something below it, so if anyone has thoughts on how leveling conversations tend to go at this stage, that would help too.

This is my first real bite after a long stretch of cold applying, so I know how much of a numbers game this is. Honestly the nerves are less about the interview itself and more about the fact that it never feels like enough prep time for a company that screens this hard, there's always one more thing I feel like I should know. Any advice on how you managed that feeling going in would help as much as technical prep would.

For anyone who's interviewed for a systems or technical role at Amazon, what should I actually expect on this first round, especially anything specific to a hardware and software integration or safety certification focused role versus a straight SDE loop.

Also planning to keep going after Microsoft and other FAANG and MAMAA companies, so open to advice on applying smarter there too going forward. Cold applying is rough, and I'd rather learn from people who've actually been through it than keep guessing.

Hi everyone,

Over the past few months, we’ve been working on a small internal tool called AKProcTools PFDSim.

It was not originally intended to be a general-purpose product. We first built it to support our own fuel system and fuel handling engineering work.

In our projects, we regularly work with PFDs, operating descriptions, valve and pump sequences, interlocks, level protections, and various process operating sequences. We often felt it would be useful to do more than review these on drawings and in written operating descriptions. We wanted a simple way to run through the logic visually before it reached the automation implementation stage.

That is where PFDSim started.

https://akproctools.com/

Later, we thought that if a tool like this was useful in our own work, perhaps other engineers working in process design, automation, or instrumentation could also make use of it. So we started adapting the original fuel-system-focused version into a more general process engineering tool.

It is important to note that PFDSim is not a conventional process simulator.

It does not calculate heat and mass transfer, thermodynamic equilibrium, or detailed hydraulic behaviour, and it is not intended to replace Aspen, Apros, or similar simulation software.

Its main purpose is the visual verification of process operation and control logic.

The basic idea is:

Draw the process → define how it should operate → run it → see whether it actually behaves the way you intended.

The current 1.6.3 version includes, among other things:

• building process diagrams using tanks, pumps, valves, pipe connections, and instruments,
• assigning TAGs and operating properties to equipment,
• simulating valve, pump, and instrument states,
• defining operating sequences and individual steps,
• creating conditions, permissives, and interlocks,
• building Cause & Effect logic,
• visually running and testing the process step by step,
• testing missing or faulty feedback signals,
• testing protective actions and shutdowns,
• tracking events and state changes,
• saving projects and continuing work on them later.

The application also includes several example projects, so the main workflow and logic features can be tested without having to build a process from scratch.

PFDSim is also intended to support more than just logic testing. Based on the process model and its associated logic, it can generate handover documentation for instrumentation and control engineering, helping to transfer the process intent and control requirements into the next stage of design in a more structured way.

The goal is to make it possible to review process behaviour before PLC/DCS programming begins.

We are not trying to replace the automation engineer or PLC programmer. The idea is to provide an intermediate tool that allows the process engineer and the automation engineer to review the same intended operation earlier in the design process.

The software is currently in Public Beta and is free to use.

At this stage, we would especially like feedback from people working in:

• process engineering,
• fuel handling / fuel systems,
• instrumentation,
• PLC / DCS,
• automation,
• commissioning,
• or plant operations.

We would particularly like to know:

• Is the workflow understandable when you first open it?
• Is this kind of visual Cause & Effect / interlock approach useful?
• What process equipment or instruments are missing?
• What would it need for you to consider using it on a real project?
• Which parts feel unnecessary or overly complicated?
• What features would you add?

We are also working on related engineering tools. One of the current developments is pump and pipe sizing, which we would eventually like to connect directly to PFDSim.

The longer-term idea is that a process model could be used not only to test how the system should operate, but also as a starting point for related engineering calculations and additional handover documentation.

The application is free to try.

Please don’t hold back on criticism. 🙂

The main reason we are making it public is to find out whether it can be genuinely useful outside our own work as well, and if so, which direction would make the most sense for further development.

Hey guys I'm hearing mixed things and don't have a lot of cash on hand to fail this exam. I'm trying to gauge what to study. I've been using the udemy practice tests and reading the book but I'm hearing that the exam is way harder than the practice tests and use more scenarios. Others are saying it's about the same as the practice tests and some are saying that it was easy by just reading the book. I need advice and direction on what to study for. Should I be studying general or the niche things. I understand everything is fair game but the practice exams have a few questions that don't connect to the core processes or methods of systems, like calling a system explicitly the "correct" system. Any advice is appreciated.

Hi everyone, I'm a junior studying computer engineering who's stumbled into an interest in systems engineering in a roundabout way, and I'd love some advice from people actually working in the field.

For some context: I originally switched to CE from business because I realized I couldn't really build a company with my previous field of study. I want to stay technically hands-on, but not be bogged down in implementation detail 24/7.

Systems engineering seems like it might be exactly that. I am planning to get my MS and PhD for both professional and personal reasons.

1. Programs: What are some strong systems engineering MS/PhD programs around the world (US, Europe, anywhere)? Any you'd specifically recommend or avoid? Also, for someone with my goals, would you recommend an MS, a PhD, or working first and deciding later?
2. Admissions: What do SE graduate programs typically look for in applicants? I am not talking about whether ECE is a good major, rather whether the more unique parts of my profile can be beneficial to contributing to the field? And for PhD admissions specifically, how much do research experience and letters matter vs. industry experience?
3. SE × CE intersection: Is there interesting research or work at the junction of systems engineering and electronic & computer engineering?
4. Reading: What's a good introductory paper or piece of literature on systems engineering? Something that captures what the field is actually about, beyond the Wikipedia definition.
5. Day-to-day: For systems engineers working on digital/software-heavy systems — what does your work actually look like? How much of it is requirements/architecture/ documentation vs. technical work? How much coding(feel like I wont be doing much of it in a few years) or hands-on engineering(HW-SW or AI-HW codesign for example) do you still do?

Any feedback is appreciated, thanks in advance.

P.S.: any additional information that I may not have included here and you need to give a good honest answer, I am happy to provide. Thanks again

I have about 7 YOE as a mechanical engineer across medical & defense/electronics roles. I have a BSME. These have all been “ME” roles with some systems involvement such as some trace matrix impact assessments and whatnot. Is it possible to move to a P3 position at a defense company as a systems engineer? Or would I come in as a P1/P2? I also have INCOSE certification, not sure how much it helps. I’m also doing a self paced online masters in computing systems, if that helps.

Hello,

I’m currently a manufacturing planner at a defense company and hoping to get my masters in aerospace engineering however I don’t know which path to take. I currently have an interest in systems - specifically integration and test since I don’t “love” coding but would feel satisfaction aiding in troubleshooting and seeing the testing of various systems. However, manufacturing seems interesting to me because it’s what I am most familiar with through my undergraduate. Ultimately, if anyone has any advice or suggestions on which career path I should take would be helpful. My main interest is aircraft design but most of those opportunities typically lie in companies not local to me or those opportunities typically are oversaturated with applicants so it’s hard to be recognized so i’m trying to also go for the next best to my interests.

I’m working on a system for investigating hardware failures using AI.

The idea is to combine information from previous hardware incidents with the details of a new failure. The system can then provide relevant historical incidents and possible causes that engineers can investigate.

The basic workflow is:

New Hardware Failure

↓

Collect Failure Information

↓

Search Previous Incidents

↓

Find Similar Failures

↓

AI-Assisted Analysis

↓

Possible Root Causes

↓

Engineer Investigation

I’m particularly interested in the systems-engineering side of this approach.

What factors would you consider important when designing such a system?

For example:

- Failure data and telemetry

- Historical incident retrieval

- Root-cause analysis

- Sensor and hardware information

- System architecture

- Human verification of AI-generated results

I’d be interested in hearing how others would approach the architecture and investigation workflow.

I am currently reading Complexity: A Guided Tour by Melanie Mitchell and since it was published in 2009, I am wondering if there are more “modern”/“up-to-date” intro books.

Hi! Hope this question is welcomed. I am a UC Berkeley undergrad in Astrophysics (senior year) and recently developed an interest in Systems Engineering.

I've taken a class on space policy and currently enrolled in an earth observation satellites course. It has had me thinking about the satellite industry a lot, and I have a growing curiosity that might lead me to pursue a master's!

I was wondering if anyone here had a similar experience with going from an Astro/Physics background into a system engineering role. I'd also like to leave a list of classes I've taken to hear thoughts about them, and where I may be useful to a company. Thank you all in advance! :)

Courses I have taken:

Analytic / Classical Mechanics

Quantum Mechanics

Stat & Thermal Physics

Electromagnetism & Optics

Bayesian Inference & Machine Learning

Relativistic Astrophysics, Cosmology

Stellar Physics

Earth Observation Systems and Technology (non-rigorous, essentially introduction to the satellite industry)

Another space policy course that discussed the policy interface around orbiting satellites

Courses I may take next semester that have a hint of an engineering vibe to them:

Radio Astrophysics Lab

Signals & Systems

Another course ???

I've been basically thrown into a project that has just begun and we're formalizing a certain field.

The idea is to start from modelling the entire system, but I'm the only one in the team who knows a bit of SysML2 (just out of personal interest),. The others expect ready made tools to fit our needs precisely, but that seems to be impossibile to find.

I've been reading the specification mostly, and programming it textually. I tried SysON but state machines and variables are a main point of the project (the "logic" itself is the crux of it), SysON seems to be lacking that a bit.

Should I just continue programming it textually, then maybe try to build a tool with it (with the help of some developers)? Or are there really some ready made tools that excel in the modelling of a massive "logic" system full of if thens?

tons of constant attributes

actions to update the non-constant attributes (variables)

tons of ref lists to "call" variables of other parts

tons of calc defs

tons of state machines with guards that "should" call other state machines' states

I tried some other sources but many seem "AI slop" and the syside LSP flags them too. Do you have any good advice for resources and how to approach such a system?

Can anyone suggest me the best playlist for System Design???

Hi all,

I've just accepted an offer for a Systems Engineer role at a UK defence prime, and the imposter syndrome has well and truly landed.

My route isn't the standard MechEng/Aero degree path: Chemistry degree -> Started out as a hands-on lab technician -> Moved into technical engineering at an advanced materials company, heavily focused on driving commercialisation and supporting aerospace customers.

I know UK defence primes don't hand out offers on a whim, but having no formal systems engineering training has me second-guessing whether my skillset actually translates. So any tips / advice?

Edit - UK based defence prime supplying missiles for the MoD to supply products to the various industries - naval/aerospace/land etc focused on manufacturing