A software process for the construction of predictable on-board embedded real-time systems

Abstract

The rise of the ‘cheaper, faster, better’ mission paradigm increasingly challenges the industrial development of satellite systems. The novel paradigm will have a profound impact on the production of the real-time software embedded on board new-generation systems. This paper contends that a large proportion of the ensuing demands can be satisfied by an iterative and incremental development model revolving around two evolutionary enhancements to the present engineering approach, namely (1) static real-time analysis as a key ingredient of the software verification process, and (2) an architectural paradigm centred on fixed priority preemptive scheduling. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.