A model-based framework encompassing a complete workflow from specification until validation of timing requirements in embedded software systems

Abstract

Embedded software engineering very often involves development of complex, mission critical software; wherein it is imperative that the developed software fulfills its requirements to achieve high quality. In such cases, there are several advantages of using specialized Requirements Management (RM) tools for managing the requirements. Critical timing requirements are among the foremost non-functional (quality) requirements to be fulfilled by increasingly complex embedded software. Further, a correct and effective timing behavior is among the characteristics of high-quality software. On the other hand, Model-Driven Development (MDD) is considered as the next paradigm shift to address the increasing complexity in embedded software development and to achieve high-quality standards. Similarly, there are specialized tools for validating and analyzing the timing behavior of the embedded software. However, such tools are used very late in the development process, when the actual timing errors occur. Thus, it is intuitive to perceive that an integrated model-based framework encompassing a complete workflow from specification until validation of timing requirements in embedded software systems is very beneficial for high-quality software development, nevertheless is still missing. Addressing the aforementioned gap, this paper proposes an approach toward a complete workflow for managing timing requirements in RM tools, specifying timing behavior in MDD tools and their validation in specialized tools for timing analyses. A prototype implementation of the proposed framework and its experimental evaluation are discussed.