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"This book will almost certainly become a seminal work in this field...the one book everyone will want to have both as a tutorial and as a reference."
--Larry McAlister, Senior Systems Architect, ENSCO, Inc.
The global demand for real-time and embedded systems is growing rapidly. With this increased demand comes an urgent need for more programmers in this realm; yet making the transition to real-time systems development or learning to build these applications is by no means simple. Real-time system designs must be written to meet hard and unforgiving requirements. It is a pursuit that requires a unique set of skills. Clearly, real-time systems development is a formidable task, and developers face many unique challenges as they attempt to do "hard time."
Doing Hard Time is written to facilitate the daunting process of developing real-time systems. It presents an embedded systems programming methodology that has been proven successful in practice. The process outlined in this book allows application developers to apply practical techniques--garnered from the mainstream areas of object-oriented software development--to meet the demanding qualifications of real-time programming.
Bruce Douglass offers ideas that are up-to-date with the latest concepts and trends in programming. By using the industry standard Unified Modeling Language (UML), as well as the best practices from object technology, he guides you through the intricacies and specifics of real-time systems development. Important topics such as schedulability, behavioral patterns, and real-time frameworks are demystified, empowering you to become a more effective real-time programmer.
The accompanying CD-ROM holds substantial value for the reader. It contains models from the book, as well as two applications that are extremely useful in the development of real-time and embedded systems. The first application, a UML-compliant design automation tool called Rhapsody (produced by I-Logix), captures analysis and design of systems and generates full behavioral code for those models with intrinsic model-level debug capabilities. The second application, TimeWiz, can analyze the timing and performance of systems and determine the schedulability of actions in multitasking systems.
(Chapters begin with an Introduction and conclude with a Summary, Looking Ahead, Exercises and References.)
Figure List.
About the Author.
Preface.
Acknowledgments.
SECTION 1: BASICS.
1. Introduction to Objects and the Unified Modeling Language.Advantages of Objects.
Terms and Concepts.
Object Orientation with UML.
Objects.
Attributes.
Behavior.
Messaging.
Responsibility.
Concurrency.
Objects as Autonomous Machines.
Class Diagrams.
Relations Among Classes and Objects.
Use Cases.
Sequence Diagrams.
Physical Representation.
Things Common to Diagrams.
Notes.
Packages.
Constraints.
Stereotypes.
2. Basic Concepts of Real-Time Systems.What is Real-Time?
Terms and Concepts.
Timeliness.
Responsiveness.
Concurrency.
Scheduling Concurrent Threads.
Event Arrival Patterns.
Thread Rendezvous Patterns.
Sharing Resources.
Predictability.
Memory Management.
Correctness and Robustness.
Deadlock.
Exceptional Conditions.
Race Conditions.
Distributed Systems.
Fault Tolerance and Safety.
Dealing with Resource-Limited Target Environments.
Low-Level Hardware Interfacing.
Real-Time Operating Systems.
Scalability.
Scheduling.
Typical RTOS Features.
3. Basic Concepts of Safety-Critical Systems.Introduction to Safety.
The Therac-25 Story.
Other Stories.
Terms and Concepts.
Safety Related Faults.
Safety is a System Issue.
Random Faults Versus Systematic Faults.
Single Point Failures.
Common Mode Failures.
Latent Faults.
Fail-Safe State.
Achieving Safety.
Safety Architectures.
Single Channel Protected Design.
Eight Steps to Safety.
Step 1: Identify the Hazards.
Step 2: Determine the Risks.
Step 3: Define the Safety Measures.
Step 4: Create Safe Requirements.
Step 5: Create Safe Design.
Step 6: Implementing Safely.
Step 7: Assure Safety Process.
Step 8: Test, Test, Test.
Few Safety Related Standards.
4. Rapid Object-Oriented Process for Embedded Systems.Terms and Concepts.
Development Phases.
Ordering.
Maturity.
Development Task Sequencing.
Waterfall Lifecycle.
Iterative Lifecycles.
Prototyping.
Scheduling and Estimation.
Advantages of Accurate Schedules.
Difficulties of Accurate Scheduling.
The ROPES Macro Cycle.
Analysis.
Requirements Analysis.
Systems Analysis.
Object Analysis.
Design.
Architectural Design.
Mechanistic Design.
Detailed Design.
Translation.
Activities.
Artifacts.
Testing.
Activities.
SECTION 2: ANALYSIS.
5. Requirements Analysis of Real-Time Systems.Terms and Concepts.
Use Cases.
Messages and Events.
Scenarios, Protocols, and State Machines.
Use Cases.
Use Case Relations.
Use Case Example: Air Traffic Control System.
External Events.
Context-Level Messages.
Specifying External Messages.
External Event List.
Response Time.
Detailing Use Case Behavior.
Informal Textual Description.
Scenarios.
Sequence Diagrams.
Statecharts for Defining Use Case Behavior.
Identifying Use Cases.
Using Use Cases.
Heuristics for Good Requirements Analysis Diagrams.
Use Case Diagram Heuristics.
Use Case Heuristics.
Use Case Sequence Diagram Heuristics.
6. Structural Object Analysis.Terms and Concepts.
Key Strategies for Object Identification.
Underline the Noun.
Identify Causal Agents.
Identify Coherent Services.
Identify Real-World Items.
Identify Physical Devices.
Identify Essential Abstractions of Domains.
Identify Transactions.
Identify Persistent Information.
Identify Visual Elements.
Identify Control Elements.
Execute Scenarios on the Object Model.
Reification of Objects into Classes.
Identify Object Associations.
Multiplicity.
Associations and Links.
Aggregation and Composition.
Object Attributes.
Generalization Relationships.
AATCS Example: Class Diagrams.
Heuristics for Good Class Diagrams.
Rules for Good Class Diagrams.
7. Object Behavioral Analysis.Terms and Concepts.
Simple Behavior.
State Behavior.
Continuous Behavior.
UML Statecharts.
Basic State Semantics.
Transitions and Events.
Actions and Activities.
Pseudostates.
Orthogonal Regions and Synchronization.
Basic Statechart Syntax.
Inherited State Models.
Ill-formed State Models.
Example: AATCS Alarm System.
The Role of Scenarios in the Definition of Behavior.
Timing Diagrams.
Sequence Diagrams.
Activity Diagrams.
Defining Operations.
Types of Operations.
Strategies for Defining Operations.
Statechart Heuristics.
Timing Diagram Heuristics.
Activity Diagram Heuristics.
SECTION 3: DESIGN.
8. Architectural Design.Terms and Concepts.
Tasking Model.
Representing Tasks.
Defining Task Threads.
Assigning Objects to Tasks.
Defining Task Rendezvous.
Component Model.
Deployment Model.
Representing Physical Architecture in the UML.
Multiprocessor Systems.
Safety/Reliability Model.
9. Mechanistic Design.Terms and Concepts.
Design Pattern Basics.
Mechanistic Design Patterns.
Correctness Patterns.
Execution Control Patterns.
10. Detailed Design.Introduction to Detailed Design.
Terms and Concepts.
Data Structure.
Primitive Representational Types.
Subrange Constraints.
Derived Attributes.
Data Collection Structure.
Associations.
The Object Interface.
Definition of Operations.
Detailed Algorithmic Design.
Representing Algorithms in the UML.
Algorithmic Example: Run-Time Data Interpolation.
Exceptions.
Source Language-based Exception Handling.
State-based Exception Handling.
SECTION 4. ADVANCED REAL-TIME MODELING.
11. Threads and Schedulability.Terms and Concepts.
Time-Based Systems.
Reactive Systems.
Time Concepts.
Scheduling Threads.
Rate Monotonic Scheduling.
Earliest Deadline Scheduling.
Least Laxity Dynamic Scheduling.
Maximum Urgency First Scheduling.
Weighted Shortest Processing Time First (WSPTF) Scheduling.
Minimizing Maximum Lateness Scheduling.
Thread Synchronization and Resource Sharing.
Mutual Exclusion Semaphore.
Dekker's Algorithm.
Spinlocks.
Counting Semaphores.
Condition Variables.
Barriers.
Rendezvous Objects.
Schedulability Analysis of Hard Real-Time Systems.
Global Analysis.
Global Method with Blocking.
Computing Blocking.
Separate Task Utilization Bounds.
Aperiodic Tasks.
Schedulability Analysis of Soft Real-Time Systems.
Warm and Fuzzy: Timeliness in the Soft Context.
Soft Schedulability.
12. Dynamic Modeling.Terms and Concepts.
But is it the Right State Machine?
Behavioral Patterns.
Latch State Pattern.
Polling State Pattern.
Latched Data Pattern.
Device Mode State Pattern.
Transaction State Pattern.
Component Synchronization State Pattern.
Barrier State Pattern.
Event Hierarchy State Pattern.
Random State Pattern.
Null State Pattern.
Watchdog State Pattern.
Retriggerable Counter State Pattern.
Model-Level Debugging and Testing.
Animated Debugging.
Animated Testing.
Sample Debugging Session.
13. Real-Time Frameworks.Terms and Concepts.
Real-Time Frameworks.
Architectural Support Patterns.
Safety and Reliability Patterns.
Behavioral Patterns.
Framework Design Principles and Metrics.
Set of Services.
Generalization Hierarchy Structure.
Replaceable Components.
Portability.
Naming and Syntax Conventions.
Performance.
The Rhapsody Object Execution Framework (OXF).
Rhapsody Architecture.
Execution Framework.
Interobject Association Patterns.
Using C++ Standard Template Library.
Abstract Operating System.
Animation Framework.
Sample Application Using the Rhapsody OXF Framework.
Appendix A: UML Notation Summary.Today's world literally runs on embedded computers. Virtually every field of endeavor in our modern society depends on embedded computers from manufacturing to transportation to medicine. The typical household is a computing eco-system that includes telephones, televisions, washing machines, ovens, and a host of other silicon-based fauna. Many, if not most, of these computing devices have timeliness requirements to their functionality, so that late action is often wrong action. Many embedded devices have the capacity to do great harm if they malfunction or fail.
Not only are more things being handled by embedded computing devices, but the scope, complexity, and criticality of the things being handled is increasing geometrically. Technological advances are crucial in order to keep up with the increasing demands on the developer of such systems. Gone are the days when the hardware complexity was the limiting factor in the development of electrical devices. Most companies involved in the manufacture of real-time and embedded systems have realized the truism of "the tail that wags the dog" and have begun seriously looking at ways to improve software productivity. These better ways to develop real-time and embedded systems are the source and soul of this book.
Doing Hard Time: Designing and Implementing Embedded Systems with UML focuses on model-based development of real-time and embedded systems using the Unified Modified Language (UML) and a risk-based iterative development lifecycle called ROPES. UML is a 3rd generation modeling language that rigorously defines the semantics of the object metamodel and provided a notation for capturing and communicating object structure and behavior. The UML became a standard modeling language in the OMG in late 1996, and the author remains heavily involved in its ongoing effort. This book is based upon the 1.3 revision of the UML standard.
Model-based development is crucial in today's high-complexity, short-development-cycle business environment. It is important to focus on the fundamental abstractions of the problem rather than on the low-level details of its implementation; to focus on "should the control rods be in the reactor core to avoid a meltdown?" rather than "should I jump on non-zero or carry?" By increasing the level of abstraction, it is possible to build more complex systems with fewer defects in less time--a winning combination for everyone concerned.
Because the UML is executable, it is possible to automatically generate executable systems from UML models. The importance of this goes well beyond simply saving the time and effort of hand-translating code from abstract models. It is an enabling technology, allowing the developer to rapidly move from the inception of a concept to the testing of that concept. This allows early risk reduction and encourages exploration of the solution space. Conceptual defects can be identified and fixed very early before many dependencies on the flawed concepts are created, resulting in higher-quality systems in less calendar time.
This book is meant to be a fusion of a number of subject domains almost universally left disjoint--real-time concepts such as timeliness and performance, object modeling, a rapid development process, and system safety. This unified approach allows the developer to follow simple and well-understood process steps culminating with the delivery of correct and timely embedded solutions.
There are very few books on using objects in real-time systems and even fewer that use the latest in object modeling languages--the UML. Virtually all object-oriented books focus primarily on business or data base application domains and do not mention real-time aspects at all. On the other hand, texts on real-time systems have largely ignored object-oriented methods. For the most part, such books fall into two primary camps: those that bypass methodological considerations altogether and focus solely on "bare metal" programming and those that are highly theoretical with little advice for actually implementing workable systems. Doing Hard Time is meant to bridge for these technologies, presenting the development of deployable real-time systems using the object semantics and notation of the UML. It does so in a tool-independent manner, even though it does use a particular tool to demonstrate the examples.
The book is oriented towards the practicing professional software developer and the computer science major, in the junior year or higher. The book could serve as an undergraduate or graduate level text, but the focus is on practical development rather than a theoretical introduction. A few equations are to be found in this book, but more theoretical and mathematical approaches are referenced where appropriate. The book assumes a reasonable proficiency in at least one programming language and at least a cursory exposure to the fundamental concepts of both object orientation and real-time systems.
This book is organized into 5 sections:
The CD-ROM provided with this book contains three kinds of things:
I believe (and hope) that the needs of both the student and professional developer will be addressed by this book, and it is in this spirit that I offer it.
I wish to express thanks to my reviewers who tried hard to keep me honest and on topic, and who, I think, more or less succeeded:
I would also like to thank Neeraj Chandra and Gene Robinson of i-Logix for their support in allowing me to spend so much effort on this book, Doug Jensen of Mitre for his input on schedulability, Therese Douglass for her expertise in air traffic control systems, and the editorial team at Addison-Wesley, including Carter Shanklin, Krysia Bebick, and Maureen Willard, to name a few.
Bruce Powel Douglass, Ph.D.