Towards the Use of Model-Driven Technologies in an Integral Software Development Process

Abstract

This work presents a model-driven engineering approach to the software development process for space applications following the standards ECSS-E-ST-40C and ECSS-Q-ST-80C. This approach is based on the use of models for the definition of the different constituent elements of the process, i.e. specification, requirements and validation procedures. The proposed approach provides development teams with a set of features that deliver an integrated solution to the software development process. These features include the use of model checking techniques to avoid inconsistencies between the different items and the ability to obtain input data from different sources, like telemetry and telecommand databases. Furthermore it enables the definition of transformations to generate different products such as component code, formatted output files, or configuration files for a ground support equipment software that allows the automatic execution of the defined functional tests. This approach has been validated through a case study in which a subset of the functionality of the software of the Instrument Control Unit of the Energy Particle Detector instrument on-board Solar Orbiter has been modelled.