Integration of domain-specific models into a MDA framework for time-critical embedded systems

The model-driven architecture initiative (MDA) of the Object Management Group (OMG) proposes a development paradigm that can be used to deal with the increasing complexity of real-time embedded systems. MDA is based on developing both platform independent and specific models from which executable code can be generated in an automatic or semi-automatic way. In most cases, engineers use domain-specific models to describe the system and the challenge is to integrate these specific models into a general MDA methodology. Sometimes, the MDA infrastructure includes applications that can evaluate the real-time system performance, an essential aspect of the time-critical embedded system design. This paper presents a real-time embedded system development methodology based on MDA and a domain-specific model oriented to time-critical system modelling. The toolset supports model transformations and performance analysis. The performance analysis is based on the PERFidiX technology, a SystemC-based framework for system evaluation. The main contributions of this paper are the exploration of techniques to integrate domain-specific models into an MDA-based methodology and the relations of these techniques with the SystemC code generation and performance analysis processes.