Eclipse Framework for an Integrated IMA Tool Chain

Abstract

Integrated modular avionics (IMA) platform development should be supported by a model-based harmonized tool environment. This means the integration of tools of different type, origin and purpose. Eclipse’s flexible modular architecture seems ideal as the framework for such a harmonized IMA development environment. It is evaluated how Eclipse could practically fit into this position. The requirements like concurrency, different process roles, and multiple tools are mapped to the Eclipse framework. In addition, opensource extensions for model-based engineering, application development, are integrated in the harmonized tools chain. In order to test the performance, openness and compatibility of Eclipse and the tools from the IMA development process a prototype of six current and future tools is build. The tools are integrated into a common Eclipse instance. The integration covers a common human-machine interface (HMI) and model-based data exchange. The selected tools cover all working areas and tool types expected in the IMA development process. The prototype reveals typical shortcomings of Eclipse as a multi-tool host. The criticality of shortcomings is evaluated, and rules for a harmonized Eclipse environment for IMA development are derived. INTRODUCTION Aircraft development is a complex, highly concurrent, and a, therefore, time-consuming and costly process. Corporation between different roles of engineers in this process is mainly document-centered. A speed-up of the process is assumed by introducing modelbased engineering concepts, and a formal model-based data exchange between the different roles. In addition, current documents might only accompany the process as documentation, e.g. for certification. Therefore, a new way of incorporating the tools and data of planning, application development, configuration, simulation, integration, and testing for the second generation of integrated modular avionics (IMA2G) is needed. The result shall be a harmonized tool-chain for the so called distributed modular electronics (DME). In order to ensure the openness of such a platform, no proprietary application shall be created but an available application shall be reused. The software framework for this purpose shall not only provide the interfaces for tools but a software platform, which enables the best suitable cooperation of tools and developers. The Eclipse framework [15] is the most suitable candidate. Advantages like high modularity and platform independence promote Eclipse as the framework for such an integrated development environment. However, Eclipse has to fit into the historically evolved process and the grown tool world. Therefore, a concept study is carried out, in which six current and future IMA tools are integrated into a common development environment for IMA2G, called DME development environment (DDE). The participating tools are representative for all technical and process related issues probably encountered; i.e. among the selected tools are certification-critical, proprietary, commercial-of-the-shelf (COTS), Eclipse-based, and native binary applications. Beside the tool integration, it is investigated how Eclipse supports the development process, i.e. role’s responsibilities and concurrency. Moreover, it is investigated which and how open-source source products, e.g. TOPCASED [22], might support the IMA development process. This article is organized as follows. In chapter two the technical and process requirements for a common IMA development environment are collected. Based on this a concept for using Eclipse as the framework for tool integration is given. Chapter three