Cyber-physical systems design: transition from functional to architectural models

Normally, the design process of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) starts with the creation of functional models that are used for simulation purposes. However, most of the time such models are not directly reused for the design of the architecture of the target CPS. As a consequence, more efforts than strictly necessary are spent during the CPS architecture design phase. This paper presents an approach called Assisted Transformation of Models (AST), which aims at transforming functional (simulation) models designed in the Simulink environment into architectural models represented in the Architecture Analysis and Design Language. Using AST, designers can perform a smooth transition between these two design phases, with an additional advantage of assuring the coupling between functional and architectural models. The use and benefits of AST are exemplified in the paper in a study devoted to for the design of a typical CPS: an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.CAPE

Integration of DFDs into a UML - based model-driven engineering approach

The main aim of this article is to discuss how the functional and the object-oriented views can be inter-played to represent the various modeling perspectives of embedded systems.We discuss whether the object-oriented modeling paradigm, the predominant one to develop software at the present time, is also adequate for modeling embedded software and how it can be used with the functional paradigm.More specifically, we present how the main modeling tool of the traditional structured methods, data flow diagrams, can be integrated in an object-oriented development strategy based on the unified modeling language. The rationale behind the approach is that both views are important for modeling purposes in embedded systems environments, and thus a combined and integrated model is not only useful, but also fundamental for developing complex systems. The approach was integrated in amodel-driven engineering process, where tool support for the models used was provided. In addition, model transformations have been specified and implemented to automate the process.We exemplify the approach with an IPv6 router case study.FEDER -Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(HH-02-383

Evaluating the usability of a visual feature modeling notation

International audienceFeature modeling is a popular Software Product Line Engineering (SPLE) technique used to describe variability in a product family. A usable feature modeling tool environment should enable SPLE practitioners to produce good quality models, in particular, models that effectively communicate modeled information. FAMILIAR is a text-based environment for manipulating and composing Feature Models (FMs). In this paper we present extensions we made to FAMILIAR to enhance its usability. The extensions include a visualization of FMs, or more precisely , a feature diagram rendering mechanism that supports the use of a combination of text and graphics to describe FMs, their configurations, and the results of FM analyses. We also present the results of a preliminary evaluation of the environment's usability. The evaluation involves comparing the use of the extended environment with the previous text-based console-driven version. The preliminary experiment provides some evidence that use of the new environment results in increased cognitive effectiveness of novice users and improved quality of new FMs

Towards the systematic construction of domain-specific transformation languages

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09195-2-13Proceedings of 10th European Conference, ECMFA 2014, Held as Part of STAF 2014, York, UK, July 21-25, 2014General-purpose transformation languages, like ATL or QVT, are the basis for model manipulation in Model-Driven Engineering (MDE). However, as MDE moves to more complex scenarios, there is the need for specialized transformation languages for activities like model merging, migration or aspect weaving, or for specific domains of wide use like UML. Such domain-specific transformation languages (DSTLs) encapsulate transformation knowledge within a language, enabling the reuse of recurrent solutions to transformation problems. Nowadays, many DSTLs are built in an ad-hoc manner, which requires a high development cost to achieve a full-featured implementation. Alternatively, they are realised by an embedding into general-purpose transformation or programming languages like ATL or Java. In this paper, we propose a framework for the systematic creation of DSTLs. First, we look into the characteristics of domain-specific transformation tools, deriving a categorization which is the basis of our framework. Then, we propose a domain-specific language to describe DSTLs, from which we derive a ready-to-run workbench which includes the abstract syntax, concrete syntax and translational semantics of the DSTL.This work has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity with project “Go Lite” (TIN2011-24139

Modelling and Verification of Timed Robotic Controllers

Designing robotic systems can be very challenging, yet controllers are often specified using informal notations with development driven primarily by simulations and physical experiments, without relation to abstract models of requirements. The ability to perform formal analysis and replicate results across different robotic platforms is hindered by the lack of well-defined formal notations. In this paper we present a timed state-machine based formal notation for robotics that is informed by current practice. We motivate our work with an example from swarm robotics and define a compositional CSP-based discrete timed semantics suitable for refinement. Our results support verification and, importantly, enable rigorous connection with sound simulations and deployments.</p