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R. Pallierer:
"Validation of Distributed Algorithms in Time-Triggered Systems by Simulation";
Supervisor, Reviewer: H. Kopetz; Institut für Technische Informatik, 2000.

In the transportation industry, such as in the aeronautic and the automotive domain, computer-based control systems are increasingly used to replace traditional mechanical control systems. These application domains impose stringent requirements not only on the functionality, but also on the dependability of the computer system. In order to reach confidence that these requirements are successfully met, validation methods and techniques have to be applied during the design and development of such computer systems.
Due to its highly deterministic behaviour, the time-triggered approach is being increasingly recognised as a well-suited basis for building such dependable computer-based control systems. Time-triggered systems basically consist of a set of nodes, each containing a communication and a host subsystem, that trigger and execute at pre-determined points in time distributed algorithms for communication and application purposes.

This thesis presents a simulation-based approach for the experimental validation of distributed algorithms executed on time-triggered systems. An accurate and performance-efficient modelling of time is established by utilising the time-triggered operation. Deviations of the model and real implementation of the communication subsystem are minimised by using the actual implementation code executed on the target platform. An interface between this communication subsystem model and a functional modelling tool chosen by the system designer, supports comfortable design and powerful analysis of applications.

Furthermore, the thesis presents a validation of a distributed high lift system developed in co-operation with British Aerospace. Studies are aimed at checking the feasibility of building such an avionics application on top of a time-triggered communication protocol proposed for the use in automotive applications. A key aspect of the performed investigation is the use of the implementation code of the communication protocol, executed on a car demonstrator implementing a future automotive steer-by-wire application. The model of a distributed high lift system is presented, determining the fulfilment of system-level requirements of the application and identifying the impact of the properties of the communication protocol on the presented application model.

http://www.vmars.tuwien.ac.at/php/pserver/extern/docdetail.php?DID=342&viewmode=thesis