Modelling Clock Synchronization in the Chess gMAC WSN Protocol

We present a detailled timed automata model of the clock synchronization algorithm that is currently being used in a wireless sensor network (WSN) that has been developed by the Dutch company Chess. Using the Uppaal model checker, we establish that in certain cases a static, fully synchronized network may eventually become unsynchronized if the current algorithm is used, even in a setting with infinitesimal clock drifts

Incorporating formal techniques into industrial practice

We report about experiences with component-based development supported by formal techniques at Philips Healthcare. The formal Analytical Software Design (ASD) approach of the company Verum has been incorporated into the industrial workflow. The commercial tool ASD:Suite supports both compositional verification and code generation for control components. For other components test-driven development has been used. We discuss the results of these combined techniques in a project which developed the power control service of an interventional X-ray system

Investigating the effects of designing industrial control software using push and poll strategies

In this paper we apply a number of design guidelines for circumventing the state space explosion problem from [J.F. Groote, T.W.D.M. Kouters, and A.A.H. Osaiweran, Specification guidelines to avoid the state space explosion problem, 2011] to the design and formal verification of a real industrial case, namely a controller of a power distribution unit of X-ray machines developed at Philips Healthcare. Through this work we investigate whether these guidelines are effective in designing practical applications. We provide a number of alternative designs that mainly incorporate pushing and polling strategies, taking into account a number of these guidelines. Using the pushing strategy components notify one another when information becomes available while using polling components ask for information only when it is needed. We find that designs that use a pushing strategy and do not apply such guide-lines typically lead to the generation of substantially more states. All demonstrated designs formally refine a single predefined external specification that captures the desired external behavior of the system. Moreover, all designs are deadlock free and do not exhibit any illegal interactions. This confirms our hypothesis that the design guidelines are really effective in practical contexts

Investigating the effects of designing industrial control software using push and poll strategies

In this paper we apply a number of design guidelines for circumventing the state space explosion problem from [J.F. Groote, T.W.D.M. Kouters, and A.A.H. Osaiweran, Specification guidelines to avoid the state space explosion problem, 2011] to the design and formal verification of a real industrial case, namely a controller of a power distribution unit of X-ray machines developed at Philips Healthcare. Through this work we investigate whether these guidelines are effective in designing practical applications. We provide a number of alternative designs that mainly incorporate pushing and polling strategies, taking into account a number of these guidelines. Using the pushing strategy components notify one another when information becomes available while using polling components ask for information only when it is needed. We find that designs that use a pushing strategy and do not apply such guide-lines typically lead to the generation of substantially more states. All demonstrated designs formally refine a single predefined external specification that captures the desired external behavior of the system. Moreover, all designs are deadlock free and do not exhibit any illegal interactions. This confirms our hypothesis that the design guidelines are really effective in practical contexts

Model based component development and analysis with ComMA

The lack of explicit and precise specifications of software interfaces between components often leads to integration issues during development and maintenance. To address this, we have developed a framework named ComMA (Component Modeling and Analysis) that supports model-based engineering of high-tech systems by precisely defining components and their interfaces. The framework is a family of Domain Specific Languages (DSLs) for modeling component interfaces, protocol state machines, time and data constraints, and constraints on relations between events of multiple interfaces. From these models a number of artifacts can be generated automatically to support analysis and various engineering tasks. ComMA has been developed in close collaboration with the Philips IGT business unit that develops minimally-invasive X-ray systems. This paper presents the experience we gained in creating the ComMA framework and its application in industrial practice. We describe and reflect on the technical, organizational and process-related aspects of deploying a non-trivial MDE solution in an industrial setting.</p

Evaluating the effect of formal techniques in industry

In this paper we evaluate the effectiveness of applying a formal component-based approach called Analytical Software Design (ASD) to the development of control software of an industrial project at Philips Healthcare. We analyze the performance of the ASD related tasks carried out during the development processes and report about the main issues encountered. Furthermore, we investigate whether introducing these formal techniques to industry could actually improve the quality and the productivity of the developed code compared to software developed by more traditional development methods

A national antimicrobial guide with local, customizable versions:how is it used? A two-year analysis

OBJECTIVES: Guideline adherence is one of the most important objectives for antibiotic stewardship. The Dutch Working Party on Antibiotic Policy (SWAB) developed an online national guide (SWAB-ID) in 2006. Every Dutch hospital is offered the opportunity to customize the national version to their local context and distribute it through an independent website. We studied user data to see how often the guidelines on therapy, prophylaxis and medication are used.METHODS: Data on usage between 19 June 2020 and 30 June 2022 were extracted through Google Analytics for the national site and the 53 hospitals using a customized version of the national guide. User data were divided into three main groups: users of the national guide SWAB-ID, and users of the sites of general hospitals and university hospitals.RESULTS: A total of 1 837 126 searches were analysed, of which 1 393 681 (75.9%) concerned therapy, 111 774 (6.1%) prophylaxis and 331 671 (18%) medication. Of these searches, 456 854 (24.9%) were performed on the national site, 950 887 (51.8%) by general hospitals and 429 385 (23.4%) by university hospitals. The most commonly searched tracts among all user groups were lower respiratory tract (21.8%), kidney and urinary tract (16.6%) and skin and soft tissues (11.8%). The most commonly searched conditions were community-acquired pneumonia (15.3%), cystitis (13.5%) and sepsis (11.3%). The top ranked pages on medication differed for the three categories of users.CONCLUSIONS: The SWAB-ID antimicrobial guide is used extensively by both general and university hospitals. The online guide can help in prescribing therapy according to the guideline.</p