Formal Analysis of Real- Time Systems

Real-time systems can be characterized as systems for which the correctness of an operation is dependant not only on its functional correctness but also on the time taken. Some commonly used real-time system applications include embedded systems, digital circuits with uncertain delays, communication protocols and dynamic reconfigurable systems. Until the last decade, real-time systems were analyzed using traditional techniques, such as paper-and-pencil proof methods or simulation. The paper-and-pencil based proof techniques usually have some risk of an erroneous analysis due to the human-error factor. Similarly, accuracy of analysis cannot be guaranteed in computer simulation as well since the fundamental idea in this approach is to approximately answer a query by analyzing a large number of samples. These inaccuracy limitations of paper-and-pencil proof methods and simulation techniques may lead to ABSTRACT