Productive Engineering of Predictable Embedded Real-Time Systems: The Road to Maturity

This paper discusses a novel engineering approach to the development of the real-time software embedded on board new-generation satellite systems. The work described in this paper was motivated by the rise of the `cheaper, faster, better' mission paradigm, which challenges the suitability of the current software development process and calls for important enhancements to the resulting on-board product. The engineering approach described in this paper is not only to satisfy the new demands but also to accommodate the onerous constraints resulting from the low power profile available to feed on-board memories and CPUs and the hostility of the execution environment to the use of conventional technology. The paper argues that the proposed approach is as productive and mature as required to enter the standard industrial practice in the domain.