MIREA: Component-based middleware for reconfigurable, embedded control applications

This paper presents the MIREA middleware and its support for reusable, reconfigurable and hierarchical design of complex control systems. We review the middleware´s component model, key concepts and services, and its support for C++ plus its ability to integrate seamlessly with third-party libraries such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)´s Real-Time Control Systems (RCS) library, which has been successfully used in many U.S government-driven intelligent control projects. We also present a case study based on control of our flock of autonomous UAV helicopters. This represents a challenging deployment scenario, but one for which the 4D/RCS architecture is designed and is well suited. Consequently, we discuss our approach to control using a fusion of RCS as a means of architecting a real time control system and MIREA as a means of realising that architecture. Our progress to date suggests that MIREA is indeed well suited as a middleware facilitating the construction of efficient, lightweight, and scalable real-time embedded control systems.