μ-Charts and Z: Hows, Whys, and Wherefores

Proceedings of the 5th ACM SIGCHI Symposium on Engineering Interactive Computing Systems

2013

Self Cite

Formally modelling the software functionality and interactivity of safety-critical devices allows us to prove properties about their behaviours and be certain that they will respond to user interaction correctly. In domains such as medical environments, where many different devices may be used, it is equally important to ensure that all devices used adhere to a set of safety, and other, principles designed for that environment. In this paper we look at modelling important properties of interactive medical devices including safety considerations mandated by their users. We use ProZ for model checking to ensure that properties stated in temporal logic hold, and also to check invariants. In this way we gain confidence that important properties do hold of the device, and that models of particular devices adhere to the properties described.

Section: Pimsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling safety properties of interactive medical systems

Bowen

Proceedings of the 5th ACM SIGCHI Symposium on Engineering Interactive Computing Systems

2013

Self Cite

“…In addition to the Z specification, we also use the visual language, µCharts (Reeve, 2005;Reeve and Reeves, 2000b,a) (a language used to model reactive systems). PIMs can also be represented as µcharts, which provides additional benefits over a simple PIM (including the ability to compose specific sets of behaviours in different charts via a feedback mechanism and embed complex charts into simple states in order to 'hide' complexity) (Bowen and Reeves, 2006a).…”

Section: µChartsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The trace refinement theory for µCharts is particularly useful as it can be abstracted into a much more lightweight refinement theory for interfaces based on contractual utility (Bowen and Reeves, 2006b). The semantics of µCharts is given in Z and there is a direct translation available (via an algorithm and tool) from a µchart to a Z specification (Reeve and Reeves, 2000b), this in turn means we have an algorithm and means to turn a PIM into a Z specification (Bowen and Reeves, 2014).…”

Section: µChartsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining Models for Interactive System Modelling

Bowen

Human–Computer Interaction Series

2017

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Our approach for modelling interactive systems has been to develop models for the interface and interaction which are light-weight but with an underlying formal semantics. Combined with traditional formal methods to describe functional behaviour, this provides the ability to create a single formal model of interactive systems and consider all parts (functionality, user interface and interaction) with the same rigorous level of formality. The ability to convert the different models we use from one notation to another has given us a set of models which describe an interactive system (or parts of that system) at different levels of abstraction in ways most suitable for the domain but which can be combined into a single model for model-checking, theorem proving etc. There are, however, many benefits to using the individual models for different purposes throughout the development process. In this chapter we provide examples of this using the nuclear power plant control system as an example.

“…[9]) we have given a semantics for pcharts via a translation to Z. This allows us to use tools like ZEVES [lo] to prove properties of our p-chart-specified systems (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Idioms for μ-charts

Anderson

Reeve

Proceedings 2001 Australian Software Engineering Conference

This paper presents an idiomatic construct for p-charts which rejects the high-level specijcation construct of synchronization between activities. This, amongst others, has emerged as a common and useful idea during our use of p-charts to design ana' specify commonly-occurring reactive systems. The purpose of this example, apart from any inherent interest in being able to use synchronization in a specijication, is to show how the very simple language of pcharts can used as a basis for a more expressive language built by dejinitional extension.