Model Execution: Concepts and Terms : Simulation Scope : Events : Superstep

Superstep

Sometimes, as a reaction to external changes, the system is able to perform more than one step without additional external stimuli. Each step in such a series of steps, except for the initial one, is triggered by changes the system itself produced in the previous step. This chain of steps continues until the system reaches a status from which it cannot advance without further external input and/or without advancing the clock. Such a status is called a stable status. The progression from one stable status to another is called a Superstep.

States S1 and S4 define a stable status since no change in the system status occurs without an external stimuli being introduced.
Event E is generated.
Event F is generated internally. This allows the simulation to take the transition from S5 to S6 without additional external stimuli.
The resulting configuration, S2 and S6, is the next stable status. Without generating event G or advancing the clock at least 5 units, no transition takes place. Therefore the sequence of steps from states S1 to S2 and S6 is a superstep.