A decision model for managing and communicating resource restrictions in embedded systems design

Requirements and requirement traceability play a key role in ensuring that embedded systems meet their goals. This article deals with improving requirements and requirement traceability to design artifacts in the context of embedded design. We identify a way for capturing decisions concerning limited resources in embedded systems. This approach directly integrates decision-related information with other traceability information gathered during requirements engineering. It relies on the concept of quantifiable budgets for structuring the decision information (decision model). Upon this model the prototype of a requirements traceability management tool has been developed reduces redundancies and inconsistencies in requirements management and lays the ground for improved collaboration and sharing of project knowledge between project members.