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Contract-based verification of discrete-time multi-rate Simulink models

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Abstract

This paper presents an approach to modular contract-based verification of discrete-time multi-rate Simulink models. The verification approach uses a translation of Simulink models to sequential programs that can then be verified using traditional software verification techniques. Automatic generation of the proof obligations needed for verification of correctness with respect to contracts, and automatic proofs are also discussed. Furthermore, the paper provides detailed discussions about the correctness of each step in the verification process. The verification approach is demonstrated on a case study involving control software for prevention of pressure peaks in hydraulics systems.

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Notes

  1. Simulink has the notion of virtual and atomic subsystem. Virtual subsystems only syntactically group blocks and do not affect semantics. We discuss only the atomic subsystem where also behaviour is grouped.

  2. The null-space of a matrix A is the set of all vectors q, such that \(Aq=\mathbf {0}\).

  3. https://poseidon.cs.abo.fi/trac/projects/simulinkverktyg/.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially funded by the EFFIMA program coordinated by Fimecc and the EDiHy Project (No. 140003) funded by the Academy of Finland. We would also like to thank the reviewers for their insightful comments.

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  1. Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland

    Pontus Boström & Jonatan Wiik

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  1. Pontus Boström
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  2. Jonatan Wiik
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Correspondence to Jonatan Wiik.

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Communicated by Prof. Einar Broch Johnsen and Luigia Petre.

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Boström, P., Wiik, J. Contract-based verification of discrete-time multi-rate Simulink models. Softw Syst Model 15, 1141–1161 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-015-0477-x

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