Physical connection of network components in a graphical computer environment with one-way signal propagation

A system for physical connection of components in a graphical modeling environment, the system comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor;
• and
• at least one application stored in the memory and executable by the processor for:
• providing, for each of a plurality of physical components of a physical system, a physical component subsystem representative of the physical component in the graphical modeling environment;
• and
• providing a hierarchically-arranged representation of the physical system in the graphical modeling environment by interconnecting a plurality of physical component subsystems for representing a relationship between the plurality of physical components,
• providing each physical component subsystem comprising
• providing at least one functional block representative of a mathematical model of the physical component,
• associating at least one of one or more first unidirectional internal input ports and one or more first unidirectional internal output ports with the at least one functional block, the physical component subsystem configured to receive first information from an upstream block through each of the one or more first internal input ports and to output second information to a downstream block through each of the one or more first internal output ports, and
• associating at least one of one or more second unidirectional internal input ports and one or more second unidirectional internal output ports with the at least one functional block, the physical component subsystem configured to receive third information from the downstream block through each second internal input port and to output fourth information to the upstream block through each second internal output port.