This book presents the perspective of the SYDIC-Telecom project on system design and reuse as perceived in the course of the research during 1999 - 2003. The initial problem statement of the research was formulated as follows: "The current situation regarding system design in general is, that the methods are insufficient, informally practiced, and weakly supported by formal techniques and tools. Regarding system reuse the methods and tools for exchanging system design data and know-how within companies are ad hoc and insufficient. The means available inside companies being already insufficient, there are actually no ways of exchanging between companies. Therefore, there hardly exists any system IP (Intellectual Property) industry. Although system design know-how is one of companies' main assets, it cannot be reused and capitalised effectively enough today. There is a lack of rational design flows supporting a design methodology based on reuse of IP, and few design tools to support it. Even guidelines on how to use existing tools in the design flow for this purpose often do not exist." The problem was known to be hard and the scope broad. The plan of attack was first to analyse the state-of-the-art and the state-of-the-practice, then to identify potential improvements, and finally to synthesise a formalised proposal for implementation. The approach was applied to different system-level issues, e.g. design flows, terminology, languages, reuse, design process and object of design.

System Level Design Model with Reuse of System IP addresses system design by providing a framework for assessing and developing system design practices that observe and utilise reuse of system design know-how. The know-how accumulated in the companies represents an intellectual asset, or property ('IP').

The current situation regarding system design in general is, that the methods are insufficient, informally practised, and weakly supported by formal techniques and tools. Regarding system design reuse the methods and tools for exchanging system design data and know-how within companies are ad hoc and insufficient. The means available inside companies being already insufficient, there are actually no ways of exchanging between companies.

To establish means for systematic reuse, the required system design concepts are identified through an analysis of existing design flows, and their definitions are catalogued in the form of a glossary and taxonomy. The System Design Conceptual Model (SDCM) formalises the concepts and their relationships by providing meta-models for both the system design process (SDPM) and the system under design (SUDM). The models are generic enough so that they can be applied in various organisations and for various kinds of electronic systems. System design patterns are presented as example means for enhancing reuse. The characteristics of system-level IP, a list of heuristic criteria of system-IP reusability, and guidelines for assessing system IP reusability within a particular design flow provide a pragmatic view to reuse. An analysis of selected languages and formalisms, and guidelines for the analysis of system-level languages provides means for assessing how the expression and representation of system design concepts are supported by languages.

System Level Design Model with Reuse of System IP describes both a theoretical framework and various practical means for improving reuse in the design of complex systems. The information can be used in various ways in enhancing system design: Understanding system design, Analysing and assessing existing design flows, reuse practices and languages, Instantiating design flows for new design paradigms, Eliciting requirements for methods and tools, Organising teams, and Educating employees, partners and customers.