Communication Alternatives Exploration in Model-Driven Design of Networked Embedded Systems

The design of next-generation networked embedded systems requires to take into account the way in which they exchange information together to provide the desired functionality. In fact, communication patterns and network topology affect the implementation of HW and SW aspects of the nodes and their performance; for this reason the communication infrastructure is becoming a true design space dimension which requires an extension of the traditional flow. The work addresses this issue by providing 1) a model-driven design path for the specification of the communication infrastructure, 2) a methodology to manipulate the network to generate design alternatives, and 3) a technique to generate models for network simulation. A new algorithms have been supported by the development of tools to manipulate network specification efficiently and to generate the simulation model automatically so that network alternatives can be explored effectively.