Time-Centric Models For Designing Embedded Cyber-physical Systems

: The problem addressed by this paper is that real-time embedded software today is commonly built using programming abstractions with little or no temporal semantics. The focus is on computer-based systems where multiple computers are connected on a network and interact with and through physical processes (the plant) via sensors and actuators. Such systems are often termed cyber-physical systems (CPS). The paper discusses the use of an extension to the Ptolemy II framework as a coordination language for the design of distributed real-time embedded systems. Specifically, the paper shows how to use modal models in the context of the PTIDES extension of Ptolemy II to provide a firm basis for the design of an important class of problems. Several examples are given to show the use of this environment in the design of interesting practical real-time systems.