Rapid prototyping for real-time systems design

The use of rapid prototyping design methodologies for real time control systems development have become more accepted within production engineering organizations. The author uses a case study of the Multiple Sensor Technology Integration (MSTI) program to consider some of the problems with traditional design approaches and attempts to quantify some advantages of rapid prototyping. The development of the operational real-time flight software for the MSTI spacecraft using rapid prototyping techniques is described