Model based code generation for distributed embedded systems

Embedded systems are becoming increasingly complex and more distributed. Cost and quality requirements necessitate reuse of the functional software components for multiple deployment architectures. An important step is the allocation of software components to hardware. During this process the differences between the hardware and application software architectures must be reconciled. In this paper we discuss an architecture driven approach involving model-based techniques to resolve these differences and integrate hardware and software components. The system architecture serves as the underpinning based on which distributed real-time components can be generated. Generation of various embedded system architectures using the same functional architecture is discussed. The approach leverages the following technologies – IME (Integrated Modeling Environment), the SAE AADL (Architecture Analysis and Design Language), and Ocarina. The approach is illustrated using the electronic throttle control system as a case study

An Expressive Language and Efficient Execution System for Software Agents

Software agents can be used to automate many of the tedious, time-consuming information processing tasks that humans currently have to complete manually. However, to do so, agent plans must be capable of representing the myriad of actions and control flows required to perform those tasks. In addition, since these tasks can require integrating multiple sources of remote information ? typically, a slow, I/O-bound process ? it is desirable to make execution as efficient as possible. To address both of these needs, we present a flexible software agent plan language and a highly parallel execution system that enable the efficient execution of expressive agent plans. The plan language allows complex tasks to be more easily expressed by providing a variety of operators for flexibly processing the data as well as supporting subplans (for modularity) and recursion (for indeterminate looping). The executor is based on a streaming dataflow model of execution to maximize the amount of operator and data parallelism possible at runtime. We have implemented both the language and executor in a system called THESEUS. Our results from testing THESEUS show that streaming dataflow execution can yield significant speedups over both traditional serial (von Neumann) as well as non-streaming dataflow-style execution that existing software and robot agent execution systems currently support. In addition, we show how plans written in the language we present can represent certain types of subtasks that cannot be accomplished using the languages supported by network query engines. Finally, we demonstrate that the increased expressivity of our plan language does not hamper performance; specifically, we show how data can be integrated from multiple remote sources just as efficiently using our architecture as is possible with a state-of-the-art streaming-dataflow network query engine

A Model-based transformation process to validate and implement high-integrity systems

Despite numerous advances, building High-Integrity Embedded systems remains a complex task. They come with strong requirements to ensure safety, schedulability or security properties; one needs to combine multiple analysis to validate each of them. Model-Based Engineering is an accepted solution to address such complexity: analytical models are derived from an abstraction of the system to be built. Yet, ensuring that all abstractions are semantically consistent, remains an issue, e.g. when performing model checking for assessing safety, and then for schedulability using timed automata, and then when generating code. Complexity stems from the high-level view of the model compared to the low-level mechanisms used. In this paper, we present our approach based on AADL and its behavioral annex to refine iteratively an architecture description. Both application and runtime components are transformed into basic AADL constructs which have a strict counterpart in classical programming languages or patterns for verification. We detail the benefits of this process to enhance analysis and code generation. This work has been integrated to the AADL-tool support OSATE2

AADLib, A Library of Reusable AADL Models

The SAE Architecture Analysis and Design Language is now a well-established language for the description of critical embedded systems, but also cyber-physical ones. A wide range of analysis tools is already available, either as part of the OSATE tool chain, or separate ones. A key missing elements of AADL is a set of reusable building blocks to help learning AADL concepts, but also experiment already existing tool chains on validated real-life examples. In this paper, we present AADLib, a library of reusable model elements. AADLib is build on two pillars: 1/ a set of ready-to- use examples so that practitioners can learn more about the AADL language itself, but also experiment with existing tools. Each example comes with a full description of available analysis and expected results. This helps reducing the learning curve of the language. 2/ a set of reusable model elements that cover typical building blocks of critical systems: processors, networks, devices with a high level of fidelity so that the cost to start a new project is reduced. AADLib is distributed under a Free/Open Source License to further disseminate the AADL language. As such, AADLib provides a convenient way to discover AADL concepts and tool chains, and learn about its features

Combining SysML and AADL for the design, validation and implementation of critical systems

The realization of critical systems goes through multiple phases of specification, design, integration, validation, and testing. It starts from high-level sketches down to the final product. Model-Based Design has been acknowledged as a good conveyor to capture these steps. Yet, there is no universal solution to represent all activities. Two candidates are the OMG-based SysML to perform high-level modeling tasks, and the SAE AADL to perform lower-level ones, down to the implementation. The paper shares an experience on the seamless use of SysML and the AADL to model, validate/verify and implement a flight management system

A software development environment utilizing PAMELA

Hardware capability and efficiency has increased dramatically since the invention of the computer, while software programmer productivity and efficiency has remained at a relatively low level. A user-friendly, adaptable, integrated software development environment is needed to alleviate this problem. The environment should be designed around the Ada language and a design methodology which takes advantage of the features of the Ada language as the Process Abstraction Method for Embedded Large Applications (PAMELA)