Skip to main content

An Agenda for Specifying Software Components with Complex Data Models

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Computer Safety, Reliability and Security (SAFECOMP 1998)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1516))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

We present a method to specify software for a special kind of safety-critical embedded systems, where sensors deliver low-level values that must be abstracted and pre-processed to express functional and safety requirements adequately. These systems are characterized by a reference architecture. The method is expressed as an agenda, which is a list of activities to be performed for setting up the software specification, complemented by validation conditions that help detect and correct errors. The specification language we use is a combination of the formal notation Z and the diagrammatic notation statecharts. Our approach not only provides detailed guidance to specifiers, but it is also part of a more general engineering concept for engineering safety-critical embedded systems that was developed in the ESPRESS project, a joint project of academia and industry.

The Espress project is a cooperation of industry and research institutes funded by the German ministry BMBF (“Förderschwerpunkt Softwaretechnologie”, grant 01 IS 509 C6).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. R. Büssow, H. Dörr, R. Geisler, W. Grieskamp, and M. Klar. µSZ — ein Ansatz zur systematischen Verbindung von Z und Statecharts. Technical Report TR 96-32, Tchnische Universität Berlin, 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  2. R. Büssow and W. Grieskamp. Combinig Z and temporal interval logics for the formalization of properties and behaviors of embedded systems. In R. K. Shyamasundar and K. Ueda, editors, Asian’ 97, LNCS 1345, pages 46–56. Springer-Verlag, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  3. W. Grieskamp, M. Heisel, and H. Dörr. Specifying safety-critical embedded systems with Statecharts and Z: An agenda for cyclic software components. In E. Astesiano, editor, Proc. ETAPS-FASE’98, LNCS 1382, pages 88–106. Springer-Verlag, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  4. D. Harel, H. Lachover, A. Naamad, A. Pnueli, M. Politi, R. Sherman, A. Shtull-Trauring, and M. Trakhtenbrot. Statemate: A working environment for the development of complex reactive systems. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 16(4), 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  5. M. Heisel. Agendas — a concept to guide software development activites. In R.N. Horspool, editor, Proc. Systems Implementation 2000, pages 19–32, London, 1998. Chapman & Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  6. M. Heisel, T. Santen, and K. Winter. An agenda for software components with complex data models. Technical report, GMD FIRST, 1998. to appear.

    Google Scholar 

  7. M. Heisel and C. Sühl. Methodological support for formally specifying safety-critical software. In P. Daniel, editor, Proc. 16th SAFECOMP, pages 295–308. Springer-Verlag London, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  8. J. Jacky. Specifying a safety-critical control system in Z. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 21(2):99–106, 1995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. J. McDermid and R. Pierce. Accessible formal method support for PLC software development. In G. Rabe, editor, Proc. 14th SAFECOMP, Belgirate, Italy, pages 113–127, London, 1995. Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  10. A. Ravn, H. Rischel, and K. Hansen. Specifying and verifying requirements of real-time systems. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, 19(1):41–55, 1993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. T. Santen and K. Winter. Sicherung einer Lichtsignalanlage in µSZ. Technical report, GMD FIRST, 1998. to appear.

    Google Scholar 

  12. J. Souquières and N. Lévy. Description of specification developments. In Proc. of Requirements Engineering’ 93, pages 216–223, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  13. J. Spivey. The Z Notation — A Reference Manual. Prentice Hall, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Winter, K., Santen, T., Heisel, M. (1998). An Agenda for Specifying Software Components with Complex Data Models. In: Ehrenberger, W. (eds) Computer Safety, Reliability and Security. SAFECOMP 1998. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1516. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-49646-7_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-49646-7_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-65110-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-49646-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics