Managing embedded systems complexity with aspect-oriented model-driven engineering

Driver, Cormac; Reilly, Sean; Linehan, Eamonn; Cahill, Vinny; Clarke, Siobhán

doi:10.1145/1880050.1880057

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…These tools facilitate modularised design with Theme/UML and subsequent model composition and synthesis to source . The tool suite and process was originally designed to support development of applications for deployment on smartphones but has been extended to support transformations to other embedded software platforms by offering synthesis to C code [46]. Figure 2 illustrates the Model-Driven Theme/UML development process.…”

Section: Model-driven Theme/umlmentioning

confidence: 99%

An aspect-oriented, model-driven approach to functional hardware verification

Linehan

Clarke

2012

Journal of Systems Architecture

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The cost of correcting errors in the design of an embedded system's hardware components can be higher than for its software components, making it important to test as early as possible. Testing hardware components before they are implemented involves verifying the design through either formal or more commonly, simulation-based functional verification. Performing functional verification of a hardware design requires software-based simulators and verification testbenches. However, the increasing complexity of embedded systems is contributing to testbenches that are progressively more difficult to understand, maintain, extend and reuse across projects. This paper presents an aspect-oriented domainspecific modelling language for the e hardware verification language that can be used as part of a model-based software engineering process. The modelling language is designed to produce well modularised models from which e code can be generated, thereby improving engineers ability to develop testbenches that can be more easily maintained, adapted and reused. We demonstrate the suitability of the modelling language through its application to a representative testbench from the automotive semiconductor industry.

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Section: Model-driven Theme/umlmentioning

confidence: 99%

An aspect-oriented, model-driven approach to functional hardware verification

Linehan

Clarke

2012

Journal of Systems Architecture

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“…These properties are often determined by how well concerns are modularized in the design. Aspect-oriented design has been proposed as a better modularization for cross cutting concerns in embedded systems [Driver et al 2010;Loukil et al 2010].…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Model-driven automation for simulation-based functional verification

Linehan

O'Toole

Clarke

2012

ACM Trans. Des. Autom. Electron. Syst.

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Developing testbenches for dynamic functional verification of hardware designs is a software intensive process that lies on the critical path of electronic system design. The increasing capabilities of electronic components is contributing to the construction of complex verification environments that are increasingly difficult to understand, maintain, extend and reuse across projects. Modeldriven software engineering addresses issues of complexity, productivity and code quality through the use of high-level system models and subsequent automatic transformations. Reasoning about verification testbench decomposition becomes simpler at higher levels of abstraction. In particular, the aspect-oriented paradigm, when applied at the model level can minimize the overlap in functionality between modules, improving maintainability and reusability. This paper presents an aspect-oriented model-driven engineering process and toolset for the development of hardware verification testbenches. We illustrate how this process and toolset supports modularized design and automatic transformation to verification environment-specific models and source code through an industry case study.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of the increasing application complexity it is easy to figure out that complexity of embedded system computing architecture increases also rapidly. Application complexity and computing architecture complexity are already difficult issues to cope for designers and the need for new ideas and design methods is continuously underlined and explored [1].Complexity can be managed by developing new development methods which support future trends of applications and computing platforms. Applications are nowadays often multithreaded and parallel programming paradigms are under continuous exploration [2].…”

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confidence: 99%

Domain-Specific Front-End For Virtual System Performance Exploration

Vatjus-Anttila¹

2013

IJCCE

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Abstract-Domain specific modelling (DSM) is used typically on various computer application domains to alleviate application programming by altering error prone text editing work to graphical modelling and code generation. One rather different domain is design space exploration of embedded computer systems which composes greatly from complex programming phases resulting abstract application and platform models needed in system simulations. Objective of this paper is to show that the advantages of DSM can be harnessed perfectly well to this engineering domain. Previously has been shown that with a little pinch of imagination the concept of DSM can be applied on virtual system modelling phases. In this paper we describe how DSM tool and domain specific language are applied to practical exploitation of virtual system model, i.e. to performance simulation and analysis of simulation results. We share also pros and cons from explored appliance of DSM for performance exploration which according our research is valid method.Index Terms-Back-annotation, embedded system, DSM, performance exploration, simulation, virtual system. I. INTRODUCTIONInteractive mobile devices are nowadays everywhere and they are capable for running impressive multimedia applications. Trend is that application complexity increase continues like it has done many years. Expectations towards new gadgets, on which the applications of future are used, are therefore high. Because of the increasing application complexity it is easy to figure out that complexity of embedded system computing architecture increases also rapidly. Application complexity and computing architecture complexity are already difficult issues to cope for designers and the need for new ideas and design methods is continuously underlined and explored [1].Complexity can be managed by developing new development methods which support future trends of applications and computing platforms. Applications are nowadays often multithreaded and parallel programming paradigms are under continuous exploration [2]. Application development framework which alleviates the multithreading and parallel programming challenges can be the way to enable the development of future applications. Domain specific modelling (DSM) is an intelligent application development methodology which has been adopted on Manuscript received February 20, 2013; revised April 16, 2013 various domains already and there is no reason for abandoning DSM during era of parallel programming.In computing platform development, the network-on-chip architectures are explored and platform design methods should evolve towards their requirements. All in all the development of both software (SW) and hardware (HW) are going in a sense to same direction and certain correlations can be found from them. Still it seems that some similarities of these two engineering domains are not fully and utilised e.g. in the development tools. E.g. DSM and domain specific language (DSL) solutions could be utilised strongly also in HW development e.g. for VHDL an...

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Managing embedded systems complexity with aspect-oriented model-driven engineering

Cited by 11 publications

References 43 publications

An aspect-oriented, model-driven approach to functional hardware verification

An aspect-oriented, model-driven approach to functional hardware verification

Model-driven automation for simulation-based functional verification

Domain-Specific Front-End For Virtual System Performance Exploration

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