From Data to Events: Checking Properties on the Control of a System

Abstract

We present a component-based description language for heterogeneous systems composed of several data flow processing components and a unique event- based controller. Descriptions are used both for generating and deploying implementation code and for checking safety properties on the systems. The only constraint is to specify the controller in a synchronous reactive language. We propose an analysis tool which transforms temporal logic properties of the system as a whole into properties on the events of the controller, and hence into synchronous reactive observers. If checks succeed, the final system is therefore correct by construction. When properties cannot be translated exactly into observers of the control, our tool is capable of generating approximate observers. In this case, the results are subject to interpretation, but can prove useful and help detect defects or even guarantee the correctness of a system.