C++ Dynamic Cast in Autonomous Space Systems

The dynamic cast operation allows flexibility in the design and use of data management facilities in object- oriented programs. Dynamic cast has an important role in the implementation of the data management services (DMS) of the mission data system project (MDS), the jet propulsion laboratory´s experimental work for providing a state-based and goal-oriented unified architecture for testing and development of mission software. DMS is responsible for the storage and transport of control and scientific data in a remote autonomous spacecraft. Like similar operators in other languages, the C++ dynamic cast operator does not provide the timing guarantees needed for hard real-time embedded systems. In a recent study, Gibbs and Stroustrup (G&S) devised a dynamic cast implementation strategy that guarantees fast constant-time performance. This paper presents the definition and application of a co-simulation framework to formally verify and evaluate the G&S fast dynamic casting scheme and its applicability in the mission data system DMS application. We describe the systematic process of model-based simulation and analysis that has lead to performance improvement of the G&S algorithm´s heuristics by about a factor of 2.