Industrial experiences from multi-paradigmatic modelling of signal processing

Abstract

Embedded software is often composed of interacting domains. A common problem is that the implementation intertwines the different domain solutions with each other and the platform-specific details. The result is a code mass that is hard to understand, maintain and reuse. We report on an effort to overcome these problems by using a domain-specific executable modelling language for each included domain. The application was delivered for the Ericsson LTE-A uplink test bed as part of the 4G telecommunications system that was presented at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, February 2011. The requirements for the delivered software included efficient real-time performance for signal processing on new hardware as well as a firm non-negotiable delivery deadline. Our results show that the chosen modelling languages allowed independent implementation and validation of each domain. Neither did the integration of the separate solutions imply additional problems.