An analysis-based approach to composition of distributed embedded systems

Abstract

The growing complexity in the functionality and system architecture of embedded systems has motivated designers to raise the level of abstraction by composing the system with a mix of reusable and system-specific components. Currently, these components assume specific programming models that make them difficult to compose or retarget. The modal process model addresses the problem of control composition by separating the synchronization semantics from state unification, and by supporting automatic synthesis of control communication onto distributed architectures. By avoiding over-specifying the behavior, the components can be made more composable and the designer can more easily choose the least expensive synchronization semantics for implementing the composition. To help designers evaluate their choice, we propose a method for analyzing the properties of the composed system, including the detection of potential deadlock and livelock situations.