COLA – The Component Language

In this paper we introduce the component language COLA for the design and development of embedded systems. We present the formal syntax and semantics of COLA which is based upon synchronous dataflow. Utilizing the abstraction provided by this paradigm, the designer is freed from implementation details and is able to focus on the core-functionality to be modeled and implemented. Due to the wellfounded semantics of the language, it is possible to establish an integrated development process, the artifacts of which can be formally reasoned about and are dealt with in automated tools such as model checkers or model-based test case generators. Since COLA has been developed in the context of an industrial cooperation, the main rationale in the design of COLA is its industrial applicability: Thus, the language must provide a well-defined semantical foundation which is accessible to today’s tools and techniques and which is also able to capture today’s industrial applications. To this end, we extend the dataflow approach with automata to model operating modes concisely as well as with a hierarchical decomposition to facilitate reuse efficiently. We designed a textual and an equivalent graphical representation of COLA models to meet the need of our industrial collaborators. Finally, we demonstrate the viability of our approach with a case study from the automotive domain where we design an adaptive cruise control (ACC) unit.