A Meta-model for Real-Time Embedded Systems

This paper presents the results from a research project on development of Real-Time Embedded Systems RTESs) using a Model-Based Engineering (MBE) approach. A review of the state-of-the-art modelling languages was done in order to assess their capabilities to model time. A chosen case-study, a Brake-By-Wire (BBW) system, was taken from the automotive industry. The case study focuses on the use of EAST-ADL to model the RTES and TADL to specify timing constraints. A different approach using MARTE to model the BBW system was developed within our project. This approach is used to compare MARTE (and OCL) with EAST-ADL (and TADL). The results show that MARTE can be used to model an RTES from the automotive industry but lacks some important semantic expressions for the timing constraints which are present in TADL.

2008

Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) has been advocated as an effective way to deal with today's software complexity. MDE can be seen as an integrative approach combining existing techniques such as Domain-Specific Modeling Languages (DSML) and Transformation Engines. This paper presents the ezRealtime, an MDE-based tool that relies on the Time Petri Net (TPN) formalism and defines a DSML to provide an easy-to-use environment for specifying Embedded Hard Real-Time (EHRT) systems and for synthesizing timely and predictable scheduled C code. The ezRealtime adopts the universal XML-based transfer syntax for Petri nets, named as PNML. The main idea of this work is to propose a generative programming method and tool to boost code quality and improve developer productivity with automated software synthesis. The ezRealtime tool reads and automatically translates the specification to a time Petri net model through composition of building blocks with the purpose of providing a complete model of all tasks in the system. Therefore, this model is used to find a feasible schedule by applying a depth-first search algorithm. Finally, the scheduled code is generated by traversing the feasible schedule, and replacing transition's instances by the respective code segments. We also present the application of the proposed method in a case study.

Ercim News, 2008

The increasing complexity of distributed embedded systems, as found today in airplanes or cars, becomes more and more a critical cost-factor for their development. Model-based approaches have recently demonstrated their potential for both improving and accelerating (software) development processes. Therefore, in the project DECOS 1 , which aims at improving system architectures and development of distributed safetycritical embedded systems, an integrated, model-driven tool-chain is established, accompanying the system development process from design to deployment. This paper gives an overview of this tool-chain and outlines important design decisions and features.

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2010

The second ACES-MB workshop brought together researchers and practitioners interested in model-based software engineering for real-time embedded systems, with a particular focus on the use of models for architecture description and domain-specific design, and for capturing non-functional constraints. Eleven presenters proposed contributions on domain-specific languages for embedded systems, the Architecture Analysis and Design Language (AADL), analysis and formalization, semantics preservation issues, and variability and reconfiguration. In addition, a lively group discussion tackled the issue of combining models from different Domain Specific Modeling Languages (DSMLs). This report presents an overview of the presentations and fruitful discussions that took place during the ACES-MB 2009 workshop.

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2011

This workshop brought together researchers and practitioners interested in model-based software engineering for real-time embedded systems, with a particular focus on the use of architecture description languages, domain-specific design and implementation languages, languages for capturing non-functional constraints, and component and system description languages. Ten presenters proposed contributions on model-based analysis, transformation and synthesis, as well as tools, applications and patterns. Three break-out groups discussed the transition from requirements to architecture, design languages, and platform (in)dependence. This report summarises the workshop results.

2004

The design of embedded systems is often based on the development of a detailed formal system specification. Considerable effort is spent to ensure the correctness of this specification. However, the actual implementation of the specification and later maintenance is usually done using traditional programming and tends to diverge from the specification. To avoid this, it is desirable to derive the implementation directly from the specification. We present an approach for model-based development of embedded systems applying a well-defined UML 2.0 subset with precise execution semantics. Our approach is fully object-oriented and accounts for important aspects like real-time behavior including timeouts and interrupts. Through the seamless integration of UML sequence diagrams with state transition diagrams, complete executable systems can be described. The direct execution of such models on a UML Virtual Machine (UVM) eliminates the separate implementation step and increases portability.

IEEE Access, 2016

Model-driven engineering has got a foothold in industry as an effective way to tame the complexity of modern software, which is meant to run on embedded systems with real-time constraints by promoting abstraction, in terms of prescriptive models, and automation, in terms of model manipulations. In the plethora of modeling languages, the unified modeling language (UML) has emerged and established itself as a de facto standard in industry, the most widely used architectural description language and an ISO/IEC standard. In the SMARTCore project, we have provided solutions for the UML-based development of software to run on multicore embedded real-time systems with the specific focus of automating the generation of executable code and the optimization of task allocation based on a unique combination of model-based and execution-based mechanisms. In this paper, we describe the lessons learned in the research work carried out within SMARTCore and provide a set of perspectives that we consider to be highly relevant for the forthcoming future of this research area to enable a wider adoption of UML-based development in industry in general, and in the multicore embedded real-time domain in particular. INDEX TERMS Model-driven engineering, UML, ALF, task allocation optimization, embedded, real-time, code generation.

Modelling and simulation are essential methods in state of the art embedded system design. Especially modelling at high levels of abstraction helps designers to handle the design complexity and heterogeneity. This paper presents a model based approach for modelling and validation of heterogeneous application together with a multicore Network-on-Chip (NoC) platform. We use the MARTE profile to capture the structure and real time features of our system model and we model the application using UML sequence diagrams and directly simulate the diagrams in the Ptolemy II framework. As the case study shows, our approach sufficiently covers both communication and computation aspects of real time and heterogeneous systems.

Journal of Computer Science, 2015

This paper presents two UML 2.0 profiles for designing embedded software based on Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS). The first profile, named Application Modeling Profile (AMP), defines the necessary elements for the application modeling. The second one, named swxRTOS, defines a set of stereotypes to describe platform models and the mapping between application and platform. These profiles are used for the development of Application and Platform separately from the model transformations in the context of the Model Driven Engineering (MDE) approach.

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2007

This paper presents an overview of the workshop MARTES on Modeling and Analysis of Real-time and Embedded Systems that has taken place for the first time in association with the MODELS/UML 2005 conference. The main themes discussed at this workshop concerned (1) methodologies and tools for quantitative analysis and (2) methodologies and languages for modeling quantitative aspects of real-time and embedded systems in the context of model driven development.