Variable equivalency on connection in a process simulation

A method of developing a simulation of a process, the method comprising:

• providing one or more computers comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer readable media, the non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause the one or more computers to implement the steps of:
• creating a first model in the simulation representing a part of the process, said first model comprising a first port to which other models are connectable;
• creating a second model in the simulation representing a part of the process, said second model comprising a second port to which other models are connectable;
• connecting the first port to the second port in the simulation;
• allocating a memory location as a connection variable representative of a type of information transfer between the first port and the second port based on characteristics of the first port and the second port;
• setting a first port variable representative of a value transferrable through the first port to reference the connection variable;
• and
• setting a second port variable representative of a value transferrable through the second port to reference the connection variable.

A system for developing a simulation of a process, the system comprising:

• one or more computers comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer readable media, the non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause the one or more computers to:
• generate, by the one or more processors, a model in the simulation representing a part of the process, said model comprising a first port to which other models are connectable;
• generate, by the one or more processors, a sub-model of the model in the simulation representing a sub-part of the part of the process, said sub-model comprising a second port to which other models are connectable;
• define, by the one or more processors, a connection between the first port and the second port;
• allocate, by the one or more processors, a memory location as a connection variable representative of a type of information transfer between the first port and the second port based on characteristics of the first port and the second port;
• set, by the one or more processors, a first port variable representative of a value transferrable through the first port to reference the value of the allocated memory location;
• and
• set, by the one or more processors, a second port variable representative of a value transferrable through the second port to reference the value of the allocated memory location.