Design and simulation of distributed IMA architectures using TTEthernet: a model-driven approach

Abstract

Integrated modular avionics architectures complemented with time-triggered ethernet (TTEthernet) provides a strong platform to support the design and deployment of distributed avionic software systems. The complexity of the design and continuous integration of such systems can be managed using a model-based methodology. In this paper, we present an extension for the AADL modeling language to support modeling TTEthernet-based distributed systems. This extension consists essentially in a metamodel of the TTEthernet standard and the implementation of its corresponding concrete syntax. Furthermore, we leverage model transformations to enable undertaking the verification of the system models expressed using our AADL extension. In particular, we propose to transform the system model to a model suitable for a simulation using the discrete event system specification formalism. We illustrate the proposed approach using an example of a navigation and guidance system and we use this example to show the verification of the contention-freed property of TTEthernet schedule.