Real-Time Systems

This graduate textbook presents essential real-time software specification techniques, including duration calculus, timed automata, and PLC-automata, for safety-critical applications like airbags.

In the realm of embedded safety-critical applications, timely responses are paramount. For instance, in the event of a crash, an airbag must deploy within a mere 300 milliseconds. This necessity drives the importance of real-time software specification techniques, which are essential in ensuring that systems react appropriately to various stimuli within defined time constraints. Real-Time Systems serves as a comprehensive graduate textbook that delves into these critical methods.

The text introduces three pivotal techniques in real-time systems: duration calculus, timed automata, and PLC-automata. Each method is meticulously explored, providing readers with a robust understanding of how these techniques can be integrated into a seamless design flow. Starting with real-time requirements articulated in duration calculus, the book guides readers through the design specifications using PLC-automata, ultimately leading to the generation of source code for hardware platforms in embedded systems.

Moreover, Real-Time Systems emphasizes the syntax, semantics, and proof methods associated with each specification technique. It establishes the most significant properties of these methods and enhances understanding through real-world examples. Each chapter concludes with detailed case studies and exercises, making it an ideal resource for students studying real-time or embedded systems, as well as professionals and researchers in the fields of transportation and automation.