Skip to content

Commit

Permalink
reference Blackbird (#126)
Browse files Browse the repository at this point in the history
* reference Blackbird

* fix typo

* rewording to fix innacuracies
  • Loading branch information
bradNASA authored Apr 16, 2024
1 parent 82644ed commit e2e24d6
Show file tree
Hide file tree
Showing 2 changed files with 15 additions and 3 deletions.
8 changes: 7 additions & 1 deletion docs/mission-modeling/advanced-the-merlin-interface.mdx
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -5,7 +5,13 @@ Aerie is a software framework for modeling spacecraft. Within Aerie is **Merlin*
Because mission models are expressed in Java, rather than a custom DSL, Merlin has little to no ability to see the actual Java code comprising a mission model.
Merlin must instead make inferences about the mission model based on its observable behavior.

Predecessors of Merlin, such as [APGen](https://trs.jpl.nasa.gov/handle/2014/45571) and [SEQGen](https://trs.jpl.nasa.gov/handle/2014/45455), provided a domain-specific language for mission modeling, allowing them to obtain deep, fine-grained information about the composition of a mission model before performing any simulation.
Merlin is a spiritual successor to the
[Blackbird](https://trs.jpl.nasa.gov/handle/2014/52245) planning
system, which similarly uses Java for activity and resource modeling.
Blackbird's design shed light on the myriad choices made in designing
Merlin.

Predecessors of Merlin and Blackbird, such as [APGen](https://trs.jpl.nasa.gov/handle/2014/45571) and [SEQGen](https://trs.jpl.nasa.gov/handle/2014/45455), provided a domain-specific language for mission modeling, allowing them to obtain deep, fine-grained information about the composition of a mission model before performing any simulation.
In some ways, this provides enhanced ergonomics, as a mission modeler can focus on expressing their model directly in the modeling language, without being concerned with the needs of the system that will be interpreting that model.
The language itself captures all interesting aspects of the model.

Expand Down
10 changes: 8 additions & 2 deletions docs/overview/software-design-document.mdx
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -892,9 +892,15 @@ DSL, Merlin has little to no ability to see the actual Java code
comprising a mission model. Merlin must instead make inferences about
the mission model based on its observable behavior.

Predecessors of Merlin, such as
Merlin is a spiritual successor to the
[Blackbird](https://trs.jpl.nasa.gov/handle/2014/52245) planning
system, which similarly uses Java for activity and resource modeling.
Blackbird's design shed light on the myriad choices made in designing
Merlin.

Predecessors of Merlin and Blackbird, such as
[APGen](https://trs.jpl.nasa.gov/handle/2014/45571) and
[SEQGen](https://trs.jpl.nasa.gov/handle/2014/45455), provided a
[SEQGen](https://trs.jpl.nasa.gov/handle/2014/45455), provide a
domain-specific language for mission modeling, allowing them to obtain
deep, fine-grained information about the composition of a mission
model before performing any simulation. In some ways, this provides
Expand Down

0 comments on commit e2e24d6

Please sign in to comment.