Simulation and modeling - Old Questions

10.  Differentiate between fixed time step and event to event model with the help of suitable examples.

Fixed time-step model

In this the timer simulated by the computer is updated at a fixed time interval. The system is checked to see if any event has taken place during that interval. All the events which take place during the time interval are considered to have occurred simultaneously at the end of the interval.

Event-to-event model

It is also known as the next-event model. In this the computer advances the time to the occurrence of the next event. So it shifts from one event to the next event and the system state does not change in between. A track of the current time is kept when something interesting happens to the system.

The flowcharts for both models is shown below.