The System Coupling Participant Library provides interfaces that allow participant solvers to:

1. Connect to the System Coupling solver and to take part in the coupled analysis. This is workflow is called co-simulation.
2. Perform the transfer of solution data between non-conformal meshes. This workflow is called mapping.

Each coupling participant (also referred to as "participant," "participant solver," or "solver") is an instance of a standalone application that provides a solution to one or more physical models.

A coupled analysis (a concept that applies only in the context of co-simulation) is the process in which the coupled participants are executed in an iterative sequence for the purpose of converging the overall coupled solution. A coupled analysis is controlled by the System Coupling application, rather than the participants. Once the participant solver is instrumented with System Coupling APIs, it can participate in a coupled analysis with other coupled participants, taking advantage of all the functionality provided by System Coupling.

The two workflows, mapping and co-simulation, can be combined. That is, the participant solver can partake in a coupled analysis and at the same time map the solution data across its non-conformal mesh interface.

For more information, see:

• System Coupling Participant Library Capabilities
• Concepts and Terminology
• Steps to Perform Mapping
• Steps to Setup and Execute a Coupled Analysis
• Completing the System Coupling Participant Setup
• Participant Steps in a Coupled Analysis
• Command Line Arguments for Participant Solvers
• Execution in a Parallel Environment
• Access to Heavyweight Data
• Mesh And Point Cloud Data Access
• Creating Restart Points and Restarting a Coupled Analysis
• Multi-Region Coupling Interfaces
• Debugging Tools
• Migration Guide
• Compiling, Linking, and Executing Applications That Use the Participant Library
• Tutorial: Heat Transfer in Square Channel Air Flow
• Tutorial: Oscillating Plate Damping
• Tutorial: Pipe Mapping