Visualisation of real-time software in host-based simulation environment

In the development of complex real time systems, design flaws often become visible only during the integration phase. This causes delays in the delivery of the product and compromises its quality, because, for efficient integration testing, a major part of the system has to be implemented. Tool support in the target hardware environment may also be inadequate for detecting the causes of errors. An approach of smoothing the transition from design models of real time software to actual implementations is proposed. It is based on simulating the target environment and operating system in the host workstation where the design takes place. The Implementation Animator (IA) is a tool for visualisation and testing of embedded real time software. It is a part of the IDERS toolset that facilitates integrated validation of heterogeneous system models consisting of executable specifications, design models and the final code