Interval-based analysis in embedded system design

Complex multi-processor systems-on-chip and distributed embedded systems exhibit a confusing variety of run time interdependencies. For reliable timing validation, not only application, but also architecture, scheduling and communication properties have to be considered. This is very different from functional validation, where architecture, scheduling and communication can be idealized. To avoid unknown corner-case coverage in simulation-based validation on one had, and the state-space explosion or over-simplification of unified formal performance models on the other, we take a compositional approach and combine different efficient models and methods for timing analysis of single processes, real-time operating system (RTOS) overhead, single processors and communication components, and finally multiple connected components. As a result, timing analysis of complex, heterogeneous embedded systems becomes feasible. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of IMACS.