Real-time systems education: what is really essential?

Adequate concepts, professionalism and ethics are identified as the goals for the proper education of real-time systems engineers for a professional life. On a full understanding of the peculiarities of the area of real-time computing and control appropriate criteria and adequate concepts must be based to be employed in designing solutions to real-time problems. To foster professionalism, some bad practices associated with the computing profession need to be overcome, and the consequences brought about by the shift from hardware to software must be realised. This gives rise to some rules of ethics and proper conduct, whose observation can be expected from scientists and engineers.