Revision as of 07:30, 18 March 2015

Evolution Specification: UML Generator for Embedded C

Current status is DRAFT

Preamble

The traditional text-based approach of embedded software design is not efficient enough to handle such advanced/complex systems. There is a need for modeling C components in order to avoid repetitive and heavy low level processes. As initial contribution to the Eclipse UML generators project, Spacebel proposes development methods and a ANSI C code generator for Embedded Software.

Relevant tickets:

• Bug TBD - Generation of C code for Embedded Systems

Introduction

Major provider of IT systems on-board satellites and space vehicles, Spacebel cumulates more than one century of experience in On Board Software. The expertise encompasses the whole flight software development lifecycle, from the early concept studies, including the analysis and the specification over the architecture, the design and the development, to the validation and the final integration of these critical software systems.

When developing embedded systems, software designers are squeezed by two trends — shrinking development cycles and growing design intricacy. The divide-and-conquer strategy for developing these complex systems means coordinating the resources of people with expertise in a wide range of disciplines. Quickly, it appears that the text-based approach of embedded system design is not efficient to manage such complex systems. There is a need for modeling C components in order to avoid repetitive and heavy low level processes.

As indicated in the title, the feature is able to generate C code from UML models. What distinguishes Embedded C from regular C generator are:

• repeatable and reliable generation of code
• preservation of the implementation fields
• highly documented detailed design
• compliance to MISRA guidelines of C language in critical systems
• traceability of the specification (requirements) in the sources

Modeling a complete embedded software written in C with UML is not straightforward. Indeed, the UML standard is sometimes too generic with a high level of abstraction. In order to mitigate the abstraction of UML, the generator comes up with an UML profile: the Embedded_C profile.

Detailed Specification

TBW

Backward Compatibility and Migration Paths

Metamodel Changes

This evolution does not change any meta-models.

API Changes

This evolution does not change any API.

User Interface Changes

For consistency, the Embedded C generator should stick with the existing generation properties and menus (ref. User Interface Consistency).

New entries for Embedded C generator shall just be added to the existing infrastructure.

Documentation Changes

User manuals should integrate the user interfaces updates for both Embedded_C profile and the generator.

Tests and Non-regression strategy

TBW

Implementation choices and tradeoffs

TBW