A Conceptual Level Design for a Static Scheduler for Hard Real-Time Systems

Abstract

This report builds upon work previously done in the development of the Computer Aided Prototyping System (CAPS) and the Prototype System Description Language (PSDL) and presents a conceptual design for the pioneer prototype of the static scheduler which is part of the CAPS execution support system. The design of hard real-time systems is gaining a great deal of attention in the software engineering field as more and more realworld processes are becoming automated. This increase in automation identified a need for the advancement of software design technology to meet the design requirements for these hard real-time systems. The CAPS and PSDL are tools being developed to aid the software designer in the rapid prototyping of hard real-time systems. PSDL, as an executable design language, is supported by an execution support system consisting of a static scheduler, dynamic scheduler, and translator. The static scheduler design ineludes the scheduling algorithms required to schedule time critical time critical operators contained in a PSDL prototype in such a way that all operator timing constraints and precedence relationships are met to produce a feasible static schedule if one is possible. Implementation of the conceptual design will be the basis for further work in this area.