Schedulability analysis of timed CSP models using the PAT model checker

Timed CSP can be used to model and analyse real-time and concurrent behaviour of embedded control systems. Practical CSP implementations combine the CSP model of a real-time control system with prioritized scheduling to achieve efficient and orderly use of limited resources. Schedulability analysis of a timed CSP model of a system with respect to a scheduling scheme and a particular execution platform is important to ensure that the system design satisfies its timing requirements. In this paper, we propose a framework to analyse schedulability of CSP-based designs for non-preemptive fixed-priority multiprocessor scheduling. The framework is based on the PAT model checker and the analysis is done with dense-time model checking on timed CSP models. We also provide a schedulability analysis workflow to construct and analyse, using the proposed framework, a timed CSP model with scheduling from an initial untimed CSP model without scheduling. We demonstrate our schedulability analysis workflow on a case study of control software design for a mobile robot. The proposed approach provides non-pessimistic schedulability results

GCSR: A Graphical Language With Algebraic Semantics for the Specification of Real-Time Systems

Graphical Communicating Shared Resources, GCSR, is a formal language for specifying real-time systems including their functional and resource requirements. A GCSR specification consists of a set of nodes that are connected with directed, labeled edges, which describe possible execution flows. Nodes represent instantaneous selection among execution flows, or time and resource consuming system activities. In addition, a node can represent a system subcomponent, which allows modular, hierarchical, thus scalable system specifications. Edges are labeled with instantaneous communication actions or time to describe the duration of activities in the source node. GCSR supports the explicit representation of resources and priorities to resolve resource contention. The semantics of GCSR is the Algebra of Communicating Shared Resources, a timed process algebra with operational semantics that makes GCSR specifications executable. Furthermore, the process algebra provides behavioral equivalence relations between GCSR specifications. These equivalence relations can be used to replace a GCSR specification with an equivalent specification inside another, and to minimize a GCSR specification in terms of the number of nodes and edges. The paper defines the GCSR language, describes GCSR specification reductions that preserve the specification behaviors, and illustrates GCSR with example design specifications

VERSA: A Tool for the Specification and Analysis of Resource-Bound Real-Time Systems

VERSA is a tool that assists in the algebraic analysis of real-time systems. It is based on ACSR, a timed process algebra designed to express resource-bound real-time distributed systems. VERSA supports the analysis of real-time processes through algebraic rewriting, interactive execution, and equivalence testing. This paper begins by presenting a brief overview of the process algebra ACSR, its syntax, operational semantics, and equivalence relations. VERSA\u27S process and command syntax, its algebraic rewrite system, and its state-based analysis features are described fully. The presentation includes examples that illustrate the salient features of ACSR, and output from sample VERSA sessions that demonstrate the application of the tool to real-time systems analysis

Resources in process algebra

The Algebra of Communicating Shared Resources (ACSR) is a timed process algebra which extends classical process algebras with the notion of a resource. It takes the view that the timing behavior of a real-time system depends not only on delays due to process synchronization, but also on the availability of shared resources. Thus, ACSR employs resources as a basic primitive and it represents a real-time system as a collection of concurrent processes which may communicate with each other by means of instantaneous events and compete for the usage of shared resources. Resources are used to model physical devices such as processors, memory modules, communication links, or any other reusable resource of limited capacity. Additionally, they provide a convenient abstraction mechanism for capturing a variety of aspects of system behavior. In this paper we give an overview of ACSR and its probabilistic extension, PACSR, where resources can fail with associated failure probabilities. We present associated analysis techniques for performing qualitative analysis (such as schedulability analysis) and quantitative analysis (such as resource utilization analysis) of process-algebraic descriptions. We also discuss mappings between probabilistic and non-probabilistic models, which allow us to use analysis techniques from one algebra on models from the other

TPAP An algebra of preemptive processes for verifying real-time systems with shared resources

AbstractThis paper describes a timed process algebra called TPAP. The aim of this algebra is to allow the modelisation of real time embedded processes sharing common resources, and which are sensitive to communication delays and scheduling strategies. Timed broadcasting and process preemption by interruption events are the two main fundamental notions of the algebra. They allow description of schedulers and asynchronous communication mediums, thus which can be taken into account when verifying the real time behaviour of the global system. We first present the process algebra and discuss its properties. A case study from the avionics area is then developed using TPAP, and formally verified by translation into the UPPAAL model checker

Process-Algebraic Analysis of Timing and Schedulability Properties

In this chapter, we present an overview of how timing information can be embedded in process-algebraic frameworks. We concentrate on the case of discrete-time modeling. We begin by discussing design approaches that have been adopted in different formalisms to model time and time passage, and how the resulting mechanisms interact with one another and with standard untimed process-algebraic operators. We proceed to give an overview of ACSR, a timed process algebra developed for modeling and reasoning about timed, resource-constrained systems. In doing this, ACSR adopts the notion of a resource as a first-class entity, and it replaces maximal progress, employed by other timed process algebras, by the notion of resource-constrained progress. ACSR associates resource-usage with time passage, and implements appropriate semantic rules to ensure that progress in the system is enforced as far as possible while simultaneous usage of a resource by distinct processes is excluded. In addition, ACSR employs the notion of priorities to arbitrate access to resources by competing processes. Finally, we illustrate the use of ACSR for the schedulability analysis of a realistic real-time system problem

The Soundness and Completeness of ACSR (Algebra of Communicating Shared Resources)

Recently, significant progress has been made in the development of timed process algebras for the specification and analysis of real-time systems; one of which is a timed process algebra called ACSR. ACSR supports synchronous timed actions and asynchronous instantaneous events. Timed actions are used to represent the usage of resources and to model the passage of time. Events are used to capture synchronization between processes. To be able to specify real systems accurately, ACSR supports a notion of priority that can be used to arbitrate among timed actions competing for the use of resources and among events that are ready for synchronization. Equivalence between ACSR terms is defined in terms of strong bisimulation. The paper contains a set of algebraic laws that are proven sound and complete for finite ACSR agents

A Time-Triggered Constraint-Based Calculus for Avionic Systems

The Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) architec- ture and the Time-Triggered Ethernet (TTEthernet) network have emerged as the key components of a typical architecture model for recent civil aircrafts. We propose a real-time constraint-based calculus targeted at the analysis of such concepts of avionic embedded systems. We show our framework at work on the modelisation of both the (IMA) architecture and the TTEthernet network, illustrating their behavior by the well-known Flight Management System (FMS)