DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK APPROACH TO HETEROGENEOUS SYSTEM-DESIGN FOR CONTROL-SYSTEMS

An integrated environment of software development tools, known as the Development Framework, which automates the design process for complex realtime embedded control systems, is introduced. The approach favoure d here is to maximise the use of commercially available tools that are well understood by current industrial practitioners. Where necessary, new tools are introduced both in unifying the automated method and fo r supporting specialist functions. Introduced here is one such special ist example: support for the design of heterogeneous systems. This pap er details the work on heterogeneity, and demonstrates how the essenti al properties of the Development Framework have been preserved. Thus, the Framework presents a unified methodology and an open system archit ecture. Finally, what should be learnt from this for building future t echniques and tools for complex real-time control systems is discussed .