Two modeled flags can be active simultaneously. Their durations cannot be treated as disjoint portions of one observation window without checking overlap.
Check whether state categories can overlap
State models can use exclusive modes or concurrently active modes. Exclusive alternatives permit one active substate at a time within the defined decomposition, while parallel structure permits concurrent activity. A report combining flags from different concurrent components therefore needs an overlap check before its durations are added. Primary reference: MathWorks Stateflow: exclusive and parallel state decomposition.
For an original interval worksheet, specify whether each reported category is mutually exclusive with the others. Separate the duration of flag A, duration of flag B and duration of their union. A label such as stopped does not by itself establish whether two recorded causes overlap.
Calculate fictional interval overlap
Suppose a hypothetical 20-minute observation records flag A active from minute 0 to 12 and flag B active from minute 8 to 18. Their individual durations are 12 and 10 minutes. Summing them gives 22 minutes, exceeding the observation span because four minutes were counted twice.
At least one flag is active from minute 0 to 18, giving an 18-minute union: 12 + 10 − 4 = 18. Neither flag is active during the final 2 minutes. This invented ledger does not assign either flag a real failure cause or specify a factory downtime convention.
Review the combined report
Prepare a trial table of interval start, end and simultaneous flag set. Split the timeline at every transition so each segment has a known state combination. Then choose whether the intended metric is separate category exposure, union duration or a defined exclusive attribution rule.
Do not silently prioritize one cause to force category totals to match the window. If attribution needs exclusive categories, document that rule separately from the observed overlapping flags. The guide establishes no HM stop-cause diagnosis; it checks whether duration accounting has counted shared intervals twice.
Customer Questions
Must separate modeled state flags be mutually exclusive?
No. Concurrent components can have active states at the same time.
Why does the fictional sum reach 22 minutes?
It counts the four-minute overlap twice.
What is the duration with at least one flag active?
Eighteen minutes in the stated interval ledger.
Primary References
These references support the technical principles discussed in this guide. The worked examples and review questions are educational.
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