A Generic Protocol Approach for Integrating Heterogeneous Simulation Systems in Co-Simulation

Abstract

The validation of complex railway systems increasingly requires the integration of multiple specialized simulation tools that were developed independently using different technologies, programming languages, and interface conventions. This paper presents a generic protocol-based approach for bridging such heterogeneous simulation systems within a unified co-simulation framework. We introduce an abstraction to OpenMCx, that enables type-safe data exchange through dynamically discovered channels, eliminating the need for tool-specific adapters at the protocol level. The code is publicly available on GitHub. The resulting framework enables configuration-driven integration without requiring modifications to the participating systems, supporting both intellectual property protection and flexible system composition. We describe the component architecture, including the orchestrator's role, the generic gRPC-based communication component, the Python middleware implementation, and the adapter pattern for external simulator integration. Further, we presents extensibility patterns for incorporating new simulation tools and data types. The architecture has been validated through application to railway perception testing, demonstrating its effectiveness for practical validation scenarios