Model-level simulation for COLA

Model-driven development has become the standard approach for the development of avionic and automotive embedded systems. When a semantically founded modeling language is employed, the implemented systems can be checked and further processed in an automated manner. To this end, the Component Language (COLA) was invented. It allows for the definition of all information needed during system development. For a better understanding, and also debugging, of the systems modeled there with, simulation at the level of the model is a welcome complement. In this paper we present a model-level simulator for COLA. It follows the language´s semantics closely, thus guaranteeing the same behavior as specified in the model and implemented by other tools based on COLA. Furthermore, its modular nature allows for the use of different sources for input data. We will demonstrate the architecture and abilities of our simulator, using parts of a recent case study throughout the paper.