A common model approach to the integration of heterogeneous models of communications, concurrency, and coordination for embedded systems

Many different models of communications, concurrency, and coordination are utilized in the specification of embedded systems. Heterogeneous systems are formed when assembled from components based on different models. The semantics of heterogeneous systems is often ambiguously defined, thereby hindering system analysis, simulation, and optimization. In this research, I propose and explore the use of a common model to describe the interactions among heterogeneous components. The model developed for this purpose is called the Abstract Reactive Model. It defines a conceptual framework by which interactions among components may be described and refined. Communications, concurrency, and coordination models are not fixed properties of the model, but are instead flexible, user-configurable properties. A software implementation of the Abstract Reactive Model has also been developed, called JavaTime, which allows specifications based upon the model to be written and simulated in the Java programming language. Representations of several representative models have been implemented in JavaTime and utilized to develop examples of heterogeneous systems to demonstrate the use of this common model-based approach.