The ControlShell component-based real-time programming system

Real-time system software is notoriously hard to share and reuse. This paper walks through the methodology and application of ControlShell, a component-based programming system real-time system software development. ControlShell combines graphical system-building tools, an execution-time configuration manager, a real-time matrix package, and an object name service into an integrated development environment. It targets complex systems that require on-line reconfiguration and strategic control. ControlShell takes advantage of functional object hierarchies to enable code sharing and reuse. It gains flexibility by supporting easy interconnectivity of these objects. It features a unique configuration control system for changing operating modes. The paper concludes by examining the application of this framework to a dual-arm robotic workcell that is able to pick objects from a moving conveyor and perform simple assemblies,