Re: Mission Critical Software Development for Avionic Systems

["Pat Rogers" <progers@NOclasswideSPAM.com>]

You've come to the right place.  This is a domain in which Ada excels.

<cakmakci@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:8t3jhc$mt5$1@nnrp1.deja.com...
> This is probably a very general and a wide-scope question, and
> it might already be a FAQ, but I am looking for some information or
> rather pointers to software development for mission critical
avionics
> systems.
>
> - I am particularly interested in hearing experience with COTS ROTS
> for such applications,
>
> - Development processes especially applicable for such system
> software, for instance extra phases you would like to have in
> developing such a software system,
>
>  - Concerns for special programming techniques. This is probably a
> naive question but would you have multi-threads in such an
application?
> What about optimization? I suspect compact code will improve the
> reliability of such a system.

Concerning specifically the use of threads in a safety-critical
application, look for info on the "Ravenscar Profile" or products that
"support Ravenscar".  For example, I know Aonix has a product that
does so, and I suspect DDCI offers one as well.  Aonix has a white
paper section on the subject at their web site.  See
www.aonix.com and follow the links to ObjectAda Real-Time Raven
http://anubis.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC22/WG9/HRG-High-Integrity-Ada.txt
http://www.openravenscar.org/OpenRavenscar

Also definitely have a look at the SPARK toolset from Praxis Critical
Systems Limited in the UK.  John Barnes has a book on the subject too:
"High Integrity Ada: The SPARK Approach", published by Addison-Wesley
(my copy is dated 1977 but there is a later version if memory serves).
See http://www.praxis-cs.co.uk/

The Real-Time Systems Group at the University of York has a large
number of papers available on the subject of both real-time and
safety-critical software (including Ravenscar), especially for
avionics apps.  (We have long had a close relationship with British
Aerospace.)  See http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/rts/

Also have a look at the book "Real-Time Systems and Programming
Languages" by Alan Burns and Andy Wellings of the University of York,
published by Addison-Wesley.  (Get the second edition.)  This book
covers a number of topics that I believe concern you, and does so for
a variety of languages.

Hope this helps,

Pat Rogers
RTSG, University of York
progers@classwide.com