Typical connections of processes
When separating systems to subsystems, we have to consider the connections through which they interact with each other. Typical examples are reservoir systems, such as water and gas reservoirs, but the tasks are similar when dealing with interactions between biological organisms as well.
The basic types of connections are parallel and serial connections. Electrical circuits serve as a model for calculating the resulting effects of the connections. In the examples of living organisms, the digestive tract has serial connections which are connected in series with the two kidneys working in parallel. Parallel connections can be found between the individual systems of a gasworks where the equipment are connected according to the needs. However, the processes within the specific units are serial.
Feedback is a particularly important and interesting form of connections. This topic will be addressed separately.
The connections of subsystems can be illustrated by the connections of a block diagram (see the educational section of page 36). These can help us examine the resultant system’s behaviour and even the changes in its internal signals.