Automatic programming technologies for avionics software (APTAS)

The APTAS software development environment, which provides automatic programming support for both rapid prototyping and target software system development in Ada, is described. APTAS utilizes domain-specific knowledge base support for automatic code synthesis from high-level system specifications. Each domain knowledge base includes both generic system architectures, in the form of templates, and design rules which capture carefully developed implementation strategies of various high-level specifications. Early users of this system will be systems and software engineers whose responsibility is to develop avionics system architectures. With the APTAS system, engineers will be able to quickly compare and contrast various architectural designs, including hardware and software tradeoffs, by testing instrumented, operational prototypes. The engineer will specify the system in a high-level specification language tailored to the functional area. Drawing from a knowledge base germane to the specifications APTAS will then interpret the specification in order to synthesize executable code. The high-level design language CIDL is a key element of APTAS, since it provides all the resources required to specify and test real-time, parallel processing systems needed for avionics applications