A component-based DSM documents interactions between elements in a complex system
architecture. Different types of interactions can be displayed in the DSM. Types of
interactions will vary from project to project.
Some representative interaction types are shown in the table below (Pimmler and Eppinger, 1994).
Spatial
needs for adjacency or orientation between two elements
Energy
needs for energy transfer/exchange between two elements
Information
needs for data or signal exchange between two elements
Material
needs for material exchange between two elements
As an example, consider the material interaction between components for an automobile
Climate Control System.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
N
M
O
P
Radiator
A
A
X
Engine fan
B
X
B
Heater Core
C
C
X
Heater Hoses
D
D
Condenser
E
X
E
X
X
Compressor
F
X
F
X
X
Evaporator Case
G
G
X
Evaporator Core
H
X
X
H
X
X
Accumulator
I
X
X
I
Refrigeration Controls
J
J
Air Controls
K
K
Sensors
L
L
Command Distribution
M
M
Actuators
N
N
Blower Controls
O
O
X
Blower Motor
P
X
X
X
X
P
Clustering the "X" marks along the diagonal of the DSM resulted in the
creation of three "chunks" for the Climate Control System. The
"chunks" are (Pimmler and Eppinger, 1994):
