Trinity College Dublin

A dynamically-adaptable embedded system can automatically alter its functional composition at run-time, in response to changes in the operating environment, or as means of integrating new functionality within the existing software. The aim of functional adaptations is to improve the way in which the system performs within its operating environment, rather than re-defining a generic system for multiple diverse goals. Adaptations are selected and implemented at run time, and are typically unanticipated, i.e., the scope and scheduling of adaptations cannot be foreseen by the software developer at design time. This means that the future functional evolution of a dynamically-adaptable embedded system is unknown, since adaptations are triggered by a combination of newly available functionality and random fluctuations within the operating environment.

TimeAct facilitates embedded software to be adapted in a safe, reliable manner, such that the adaptation process completes within specific timebounds, and the resulting functional modification leads to a stable configuration of the system. In addition, TimeAct forecasts the likely changes to timing behaviour caused by software adaptations, in order to ensure that the newly adapted software does not violate any predefined timing constraints or QoS/performance requirements.

Research Areas

• Dynamic reconfiguration of embedded systems
• Timing analysis of dynamically adaptable component-based systems

People