Rapid prototyping through graphical operational specification and automated code generation

The application of PROTOB, an object-oriented CASE system based on high-level Petri nets, to rapid prototyping of distributed systems is presented. PROTOB consists of several tools supporting specification, modeling and prototyping activities within the framework of the operational software life-cycle paradigm. As its major application area it addresses distributed systems, such as real-time embedded systems, communication protocols and manufacturing control systems. The PROTOB methodology and its support environment can be used in software development of distributed discrete-event dynamic systems at three different levels. The functionality of the system can be formally defined and also analyzed quantitatively by building a PROT net based model, which is actually a simulation model. The model becomes more detailed and the timing of the transitions is real, being managed by the host operating system. The PROTOB objects emulating the physical environment are are replaced by a suitable interface which has the task of transforming signals coming from the plant into tokens to be introduced into the PROTOB model and, likewise, of converting tokens coming from the PROTOB model into appropriate commands issued to the plant