A methodology for design, test, and evaluation of real-time systems

This article presents a methodology that is suitable for use as part of either a prototyping approach or a component-reuse approach. This methodology integrates modeling and simulation as well as developmental and operational testing over the life cycle. The type of systems or components we address operate in real time. Designing and testing real-time systems involves the use of multiple processors and communication links. The real-time system itself can run on a single processor or multiple processors. Even when the system runs on a single processor, the test and evaluation environment uses multiple processors. If the evaluation environment were hosted on the system processor, system performance would be affected. For ease of exposition, we focus on sensor systems; the methodology described is widely applicable to other kinds of systems. We use two examples (a space-borne navigation system and an interferometer system) to describe the methodology and show how it can be used. This methodology can reduce project costs and shorten schedules because it requires performance evaluation and integration testing early, when problems are generally easier and less costly to correct.<>