Compiling process algebraic specifications into timed automata

Abstract

The authors present LTP (Language of Timed Processes), a process-algebra-based specification language, for the specification of real-time applications. In addition to timing requirements involving the execution time of individual computations, LTP can specify timing constraints that are associated with process descriptions: periodic constraints and sporadic constraints. Periodic processes (e.g. sensors) are usually time-driven; sporadic processes are usually event-driven. In LTP common real-time constraints such as delays, deadlines, and timeouts can be modeled conveniently. They specifically introduce a new construct for modeling periodic behavior, which is quite common in real-time applications. They validate LTP specifications by translating from LTP to a kind of timed automata that is amenable to well-known model checking techniques. Although the models of LTP specifications, commonly known as timed transition systems, are usually infinite because of the presence of time, the translation results in a finite representation by which automatic verification is possible.