From Models to Code: Automatic Development Process for Embedded Control System

Current development method for embedded control system is mainly based on manual programming, so it is very time-consuming and is difficult to guarantee system performance. The paper presents a modeling language for embedded control system development, called ECSML, and a corresponding automatic code generation framework. ECSML satisfies the modeling requirements, including functionality and real-time performance, for control system. Based on ECSML, a graphical modeling environment has been created. The code generation framework takes advantage of the reusability of component-based development (CBD) method. A well-defined code structure, in which function code and non-function code are separated completely, makes it possible to generate all system code from models. This development method can promote development efficiency, reduce development cost and shorten the time to market of embedded control products.