Validation of hybrid systems by co-simulation

Abstract

This article describes the INSYDE³ methodology for the design of hybrid systems. This methodology covers the development life-cycle from initial requirements capture, through design and implementation, to validation. The validation of a hybrid system is achieved by co-simulating a formal description of the hybrid system. This formal description is derived from the initial requirements capture by integrating an object-oriented analysis and modelling tool, OMT, with two domain-specific formal description languages, SDL and VHDL, for the description of the software and hardware subsystems respectively. The automatic translation of the system, described in a formal variant of OMT, to SDL and VHDL ensures that descriptions of the software and hardware subsystems together form a coherent description of the hybrid system. The article describes how this formal description forms the basis for co-simulation. The advantages of using heterogeneous co-simulation for validating hybrid systems are described, and the article shows how the methodology, and supporting tools, support the co-simulation by automatically generating the necessary code to connect and synchronise the individual SDL and VHDL simulators.

INSYDE is a CEC ESPRIT III funded project (P8641). The members of the INSYDE consortium are Alcatel Bell Telephone, Dublin City University, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Intracom S.A., Verilog S.A. and Vrije Universiteit Brussel