Book Image

The Complete Edition - Software Engineering for Real-Time Systems

By : Jim Cooling
Book Image

The Complete Edition - Software Engineering for Real-Time Systems

By: Jim Cooling

Overview of this book

From air traffic control systems to network multimedia systems, real-time systems are everywhere. The correctness of the real-time system depends on the physical instant and the logical results of the computations. This book provides an elaborate introduction to software engineering for real-time systems, including a range of activities and methods required to produce a great real-time system. The book kicks off by describing real-time systems, their applications, and their impact on software design. You will learn the concepts of software and program design, as well as the different types of programming, software errors, and software life cycles, and how a multitasking structure benefits a system design. Moving ahead, you will learn why diagrams and diagramming plays a critical role in the software development process. You will practice documenting code-related work using Unified Modeling Language (UML), and analyze and test source code in both host and target systems to understand why performance is a key design-driver in applications. Next, you will develop a design strategy to overcome critical and fault-tolerant systems, and learn the importance of documentation in system design. By the end of this book, you will have sound knowledge and skills for developing real-time embedded systems.
Table of Contents (16 chapters)
Preface
15
Glossary of terms

2.5 Review

Having finished this chapter you should now understand the following:

  • Realize why, in the real world, we can never guarantee the production of fault-free systems
  • Know what is meant by correct, reliable, and safe software
  • Know what is meant by dependable software and why it should be a primary design aim
  • Understand that software errors arise from problems to do with system design, software design, and environmental factors
  • See that developing real-time software without taking system factors into account can lead to major problems
  • Appreciate some of the root causes of poor software
  • Recognize what has to be done to produce a quality software product
  • Be aware of the need for, and use of, codes of practice in a professional development environment
  • Be able to describe the need for, and use of, defensive programming