Challenges in Validating Safety-Critical Embedded Systems

Document Number: 2009-01-3284

Date Published: November 2009

Author(s):
Peter Feiler - Software Engineering Institute

Abstract:
The embedded software has played an increasing role in safety-critical systems. At the same time the current development process of "build, then integrate" has proven unaffordable for the Aerospace industry. This paper outlines challenges in safety-critical embedded systems in addressing system-level faults that are currently discovered late in the development life cycle. We then discuss an architecture-centric approach to model-based engineering, i.e., to complement the validation of systems with analysis of different operational quality aspects from an architecture model. A key technology in this approach is the Architecture Analysis & Design Language (AADL), an SAE International standard for embedded software system. It supports analysis of operational qualities such as responsiveness, safety-criticality, security, and reliability through model annotations. A number of industry initiatives have been underway to demonstrate the feasibility of using this technology in industrial practice.

File Size: 379K
Product Status: In Stock

See other papers presented at SAE 2009 AeroTech Congress & Exhibition, November 2009, Seattle, WA, USA, Session: Avionics - Integrated Model-based System, Application and Architectures (Part 2 of 2)

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