Over the last decade, advances in the semiconductor fabrication process have led to the realization of true system-on-a-chip devices. But the theories, methods and tools for designing, integrating and verifying these complex systems have not kept pace with our ability to build them. System level design is a critical component in the search for methods to develop designs more productively. However, there are a number of challenges that must be overcome in order to implement system level modeling. This book directly addresses that need by developing organizing principles for understanding, assessing, and comparing the different models of computation necessary for system level modeling. Dr. Axel Jantsch identifies the representation of time as the essential feature for distinguishing these models. After developing this conceptual framework, he presents a single formalism for representing very different models, allowing them to be easily compared. As a result, designers, students, and researchers are able to identify the role and the features of the right model of computation for the task at hand.