AutoFOCUS and the MoDe tool

Software engineering for distributed automotive applications is shifting from a subsystem-level perspective, where the focus is on optimization of a single electronic control unit, towards a system-level view. However, optimization of distributed systems with respect to non-functional properties remains a challenging task. The goal of the MoDe (model based deployment) approach is to give early guidance for design decisions using architectural-level models of the system. In its current version, MoDe supports those architecture-level decisions that require a performance model of the overall system. The MoDe approach is based on a formal design notation, AutoFocus, which is used for specifying system models, functional models enriched with abstractions for communication and scheduling. The MoDe tool offers automated support for compiling platform abstractions into the system model, so MoDe allows a highly flexible evaluation of different architectural choices.