Developing Real-Time Systems using Structured Techniques

Course description

This course provides a sound, rigorous and practical grounding in the principles and practices of structured design techniques. It is based primarily on the Yourdon/Ward-Mellor approach, concentrating mainly on the area of real-time embedded systems. Examples, exercises and workshops, supported by the use of a CASE tool, are based on real-time examples.

All lecturers are experienced in the design and development of real-time embedded systems for a wide range of industries.

Course objectives

• To provide an understanding of the software design principles of structured methods.
• To show how to develop real-time software in a rigorous and systematic manner.
• To enable attendees to develop their own practical design skills.

Delegates will learn

• The fundamental concepts and terminology of Yourdon/Ward-Mellor structured techniques.
• The diagrammatic and modelling underpinnings of structured methods.
• How to apply the design principles in real-time applications.
• The basics of an integrated, traceable and consistent approach in the development of software for real-time systems.
• Where and how CASE tools can be used in the development process.

Prerequisites

• Some experience of programming.
• Some understanding of real-time software development processes.

Who should attend:
This course is aimed at those involved in the design, development and maintenance of real-time embedded systems. Two particular groups will find it of special interest:

• Those new to real-time software systems.
• Experienced designers who lack formal training in real-time design techniques.

Duration

Five days.

Course material

• Delegate handbook.
• Full set of notes based on the textbook ‘Real-Time Software Systems’, by J.E.Cooling.
• All worked examples and solutions.

Course workshop

Approximately 50% of the course is concerned with the practical application of design principles. This work is supported by the PC-based CASE tool which is included with the course textbook. Delegates, working in small groups, gain hands-on experience in applying the concepts to practical problems. All examples are based on real-time embedded system requirements.

Course content

Designing and building programs

• An introduction to structured programs and the structure chart.
• Applying top-down and stepwise refinement principles.
• Diagramming techniques in program design.

Designing and building software machines

• An introduction of software machines.
• Modularization principles and practices.
• Organizing and structuring software

Introduction to data flow diagrams (DFDs)

• Limitations of the structure chart.
• Data flow diagrams – syntax and semantics.
• Systematic, top-down DFD methods.
• Describing data: Pspecs and the data dictionary.

Design using DFD techniques

• Basic objectives and techniques.
• Applying the design methods – an initial design.
• Design maintenance and traceability issues.

Defining system dynamic behaviour.

• Dynamic behaviour, system dynamics and the state transition diagram (STD).
• Alternatives to the STD – tabular notation.
• Timing and sequencing issues.

The real-time data flow diagram.

• Introduction to the control flow diagram (CFD).
• The real-time DFD – a DFD/CFD pairing.

Implementing controls.

• Implementing a control transformation (CT).
• Controlling data transformations (DTs).
• CTs and levellled diagrams.
• Connecting to the real-world.

Concurrent systems.

• Concurrency in computer systems.
• Safe sharing of system resources.
• Task synchronization and communication.
• Task scheduling principles and processor loading.

Design example.

• Initial design, timing and tasking issues.
• Developing the tasking model.
• Sequential modelling of periodic tasks.
• Detailed DFD development of one task.
• Design at the structure chart level.
• Program development.

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