A Semantic Unit for Timed Automata Based Modeling Languages

Model-Integrated Computing (MIC) is an infrastructure for model-based design of real-time and embedded software and systems. MIC places strong emphasis on the use of domain-specific modeling languages (DSMLs) and model transformations in design flows. Building on our earlier work on transformational specification of semantics for DSMLs, the paper proposes a "semantic unit" - a common semantic model - for timed automata behavior. The semantic unit is defined using Abstract State Machine (ASM) formalism. We show that the precise semantics of a wide range of timed automata based modeling languages (TAMLs) can be defined through specifying model transformations between a domain-specific TAML and the semantic unit. The proposed method that we call semantic anchoring is demonstrated by developing the transformation rules from the UPPAAL and IF languages to the semantic unit.