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This chapter presents motivation for taking a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach to the model-based development of embedded systems. Starting from a consideration of the ubiquity of embedded systems in daily life it identifies challenges faced by industry in developing products in a timely manner, but to sufficient quality to merit the reliance of their users. Using a fictional story of product development, it presents the perspectives of both the control engineer and the software designer. We describe an approach—realised using the Crescendo tool—that promotes collaborative modelling and co-simulation, taking account of existing technology and current industry practice

In this article, we present the process of modeling control algorithms as means to increase reliability of software components. The approach to developing Embedded Control Software (ECS) is tailored to Component-Based Software Development (CBSD). Such tailoring allows to re-use the ECS development process tools in a development process for robotics software. Model-to-text transformation of the ECS design tool is extended to model-to-component transformation suitable for CBSD frameworks. The development process and tools are demonstrated by a use case.

Simulating formal models is a common means for validating the correctness of the system design and reduce the time-to-market. In most of the embedded control system design, multiple engineering disciplines and various domain-specific models are often involved, such as mechanical, control, software and hardware models. Close collaboration and well integration between all domain-specific models become more and more important for developing dependable and cost-efficient systems. Moreover, each disciplinary model can be de- veloped and evolved following its own semantics and development tools in different rates. The inconsistency between models and the evolution of the collection of models will increase the complexity of design as well as the difficulty of maintaining several models under simultaneous development and changes. Therefore, this paper introduces a model management approach for multi-disciplinary systems and co- simulation. Such model management approach can ensure the model integration and consistency, keep track of model evolution, and support decision making. The concepts of the DESTECS co-simulation framework (?) and the corresponding model evolution process are also explained.