Constraints Derivation and Propagation for Large-Scale Embedded Systems Exploration

The translation of user requirements to system constraints and parameters during an exploration exercise is a hard problem, especially in the context of large scale embedded systems. This process is almost never simple and straightforward, and it often requires multidisciplinary skills. The user requirements are not fixed during the exploration stage. Furthermore, the system constraints may vary according to the design choices made in the course of the exploration and development process. In this context, a need for hot-linking the constraints of the architecture to the top-level requirements of the application becomes apparent. We consider the system model as separate hierarchies of application and architecture components, coupled by a mapping layer. We aim towards an automatic derivation of these constraints downwards to all the levels of the hierarchy. Furthermore, we employ a procedure of validation and adjustment of these constraints in the lowest levels, to eliminate possible inconsistencies.