Architecture-Driven Development of Embedded Systems with ACOL

Architecture-Driven Development of embedded systems involves finding the right trade-off between multiple non-functional properties at the model level. In this paper we define ACOL: a model annotation language with at its core the combination of analysis, constraint and optimization expressions. This combination results in a powerful framework for efficient architectural design space exploration, usable from the earliest phases of embedded system design. We use AADL as an example to demonstrate how ACOL can be embedded in component-based Architecture Description Languages. The functionality of ACOL is illustrated with several use cases.