VERTAF: An Object-Oriented Application Framework
for Embedded Real-Time Systems
(
ISORC'02, April 29-May 1, 2000.)
Abstract
Embedded real-time applications are often built from scratch on a
trial-and-error basis, which leads to sub-optimal designs with latent errors
that are not detectable in early stages of use or deployment and often incurs
prolonged time-to-market. A new application framework called Verifiable
Embedded Real-Time Application Framework (VERTAF) is proposed for embedded
real-time application development, with the aim of reducing design errors and
increasing design productivity. VERTAF is an integration of three technologies,
namely object-oriented technology, software component technology, and formal
verification technology. Standards are incorporated into VERTAF for wider
acceptance by engineers, such as Real-Time Unified Modeling Language (RT-UML)
for system input, and Real-Time Java (RT-Java) for generated code. VERTAF
consists of five software components: Implanter, Modeler, Scheduler, Verifier,
and Generator. Experiences of using VERTAF show a significant increase in
design productivity through design reuse, and a significant decrease in design
time and effort through design verification. Examples show a relative design
effort of at most 5%, which shows how high-level reuse of software components
combined with low-level re-use of objects significantly increase design
productivity.
Keywords:
Embedded Real-Time Application, Object-Oriented Application Framework,
Software Components, Verification, Scheduling, Code Generation, Framework
Evaluation