A timing-driven design and validation methodology for embedded real-time systems

Abstract
We address the problem of timing constraint derivation and validation for reactive and real-time embedded systems. We assume that such a system is structured into its tasks, and the structure is modeled using a task graph. Our solution uses the timing behavior committed by the environment to the system first to derive the timing constraints on the system's internal behavior and then use them to derive and validate the timing constraints on the system's external behavior. Our solution consists of the following contributions: a generalized task graph model, a comprehensive classification of timing constraints, algorithms for derivation and validation of timing constraints of the system modeled in the generalized task graph model, a codesign methodology that combines the model and the algorithms, and the implementation of this methodology in a tool called RADHA-RATAN. The main advantages of our solution are that it simplifies the problem of ensuring timing correctness of the system by reducing the complexity of the problem from system level to task level, and that it makes the codesign methodology timing-driven in that our solution makes it possible to maintain a handle on the system's timing correctness from very early stages in the system's design flow.

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