Authors:
Vanessa Tietz
and
Bjoern Annighoefer
Affiliation:
Institute of Aircraft Systems, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 27, Stuttgart, Germany
Keyword(s):
Domain-Specific Modeling, Safety-Critical, Avionics, Certifiability, Testability.
Abstract:
Domain-specific modeling (DSM) is a powerful approach for efficient system and software development. However, its use in safety-critical avionics is still limited due to the rigorous software and system safety requirements. Regardless of whether DSM is used as a development tool or directly in flight software, the software developer must ensure that no unexpected misbehavior occurs. This has to be proven by defined certification processes. For this reason, DOMAINES, a DSM framework specifically adapted to the needs of safety-critical (avionics) systems, is currently being developed. While it is possible to create and process domain-specific languages and models, the challenge lies in ensuring that the framework consistently performs as intended, providing the foundation for certification. For this purpose, a novel approach is employed: the introduction of a meta-meta-modeling language that combines syntax diagrams with a class diagram. This language serves as a comprehensive referenc
e for the generation of test cases and the formal linking of grammar, meta-modeling language and implementation. This allows the implementation to be tested with every conceivable command. In addition, mechanisms ensure that this set of commands to be tested is a closed set.
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