About the Presentations

10.00 - 10.45 : Optimising Real-Time Systems - Why average case optimisations
are not the same as worst case optimisations.

Dr Guillem Bernat
CEO Rapita Systems

For reliable, embedded software, when we optimize its execution time, we are concerned not only with how long it takes "on average" to do something but with the need to optimize the worst case behaviour. An optimization that improves the average case, but makes the worst case slower typically has a negative impact on reliability since it is the long worst case time that will cause a budget overrun, deadline miss or other delays in the system.

This presentation addresses how to understand the worst case timing behaviour of your software and how to optimize it. We will cover key aspects of real-time systems: finding worst case execution times (WCET) and the worst case path, and why WCET analysis is not the same as average execution time analysis. Practical issues of looking for the worst-case "hot-spots", identifying timing bugs and identifying and verifying optimization opportunities will be explained. The presentation uses the RapiTime tool from Rapita Systems, a powerful on-target worst case execution time analysis tool that uses advanced program analysis techniques and on-target testing for accurate timing analysis.

Company background:
Rapita Systems Ltd. is a specialist in real-time systems analysis, its innovative RapiTime product makes Rapita Systems the leader in measurement based worst-case execution time analysis solutions. RapiTime provides a practical performance analysis that works for complex embedded software running on the latest generation of advanced microprocessors.

RapiTime is successfully used in the Avionics, Automotive and Telecommunications markets. Recent work with BAE Systems on the performance analysis of the mission computer of the Hawk aircraft has earned Rapita one of the 2006 BAE Systems Chairman's awards.

10.45 - 11.30 : An Introduction to the UML 2 Testing Profile, and its practical application for testing of embedded software applications

The UML Testing Profile defines a language for designing, visualizing, specifying, analyzing, constructing and documenting the artifacts of test systems. It is a test modeling language that can be used with all major object and component technologies and applied to testing systems in various application domains. This presentation will introduce the main concepts encapsulated by the UML Testing Profile, and demonstrate a practical application of the profile to support testing for embedded systems development. The presentation will explore how the UML Testing Profile can be used as the basis for the automatic generation of test architectures, the graphical specification of tests using UML concepts such as Sequence Diagrams and Activity diagrams, and the automatic running of tests in a model based environment.

11.30 - 12.15 : Time Triggered Systems - Why ?, Where ? and How It's Best Done

Dr. Michael J. Pont
TTE Systems Ltd.

In a time-triggered embedded system, we have one (and only one) interrupt enabled. This interrupt is usually linked to a timer, which will generate periodic “ticks”: these ticks will, in turn, drive an appropriate (often very simple) operating system.

If you are used to developing systems using multiple interrupts, this approach to software development may sound a little crazy. During this talk, my job will be to argue that use of a TT approach not only results in systems which have highly predictable behaviour, but also tends to reduce development times, unit costs, maintenance effort.

My overall goal will not be to argue that a TT approach is a perfect march for all embedded systems (it isn't). However, I will conclude by suggesting that – as you start your next project – you should ask yourself: “Should we use a TT architecture this time?” By the end of this talk, I think you might be surprised how often the answer is: “Yes”.

About TTE Systems
TTE Systems Ltd develops and sells cost-effective software tools which support the rapid development of reliable embedded systems, utilising time-triggered design techniques. TTE Systems was formed in 2006 to commercialise more than 12 years of research from the Embedded Systems Laboratory at the University of Leicester. The company was created with financial support from the Lachesis Fund and the University of Leicester. The company is led by Dr Michael J. Pont, a world renowned expert in time-triggered system design and author of numerous papers and books on related subjects.

12.15 - 01.15 : Buffet Lunch - Meet Exhibitors

01.15 - 2.00 : Harnessing the Power of Multi-DSP Processing within CPU based Embedded Systems
Joel White, UK Manager Enea

Enea's OSEck realtime OS for DSP's is used in base stations and mobile phones around the world. In recent years, developers have used the OSEck RTOS for systems that require the power of multiple DSP's. A key feature of the OSEck solution is the facility for DSP's to communicate with each other and the controlling CPU's.

At the Embedded Masterclass Enea will be presenting their dSPEED technology, a real time operating system based technology that enables quicker development of multi-DSP embedded systems.

This presentation will discuss how this technology has now evolved into a full platform solution offering start up and configuration, error handling, monitoring and supervision, event notification, logging and trace, diagnostics and statistics, in field post mortem debug and a comprehensive suite of inter-process and network communications technologies.

Whether the development is a radar system or a wireless base station, DSP's have an important role to play and this presentation will discuss how developers worldwide are harnessing the power of DSP's within embedded systems.

Biography
Conny Öhult, Director Product Management at Enea, has several years of experience in the embedded software industry enabling tier one telecom customers to build future proof software platforms.

Upon joining Enea in 2004, he worked as a consultant for tier one telecom customers both as a developer and project manager in various DSP software platform projects. In 2007, he was appointed Director of Product Management. Prior to his work with Enea, Öhult was with Swedish consultant company BnearIT, where he developed Bluetooth and TCP/IP protocols and applications for small embedded systems. Öhult also conducted research on communication in wireless sensor systems at EISLAB, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.

02.00 - 02.45 : Using Real-Time Linux

An overview of the capabilities of the hard real-time Linux kernel from a users' perspective.
Today the Linux kernel can deliver true real time functionality and performance by itself, without resorting to tricks like a separate microkernel. This talk will address the mechanisms used to achieve real-time, why to use real time and the current state and future of real-time in Linux. Klaas then goes on to debunk real-time myths and discusses common mistakes and problems when embedded systems designers switch to the real time Linux kernel.

Biography:
Since 1999, Klaas Van Gendhas been professionally engaged with Linux software development for various companies including Philips and Siemens. In his current job as Senior Solutions Architect at MontaVista, he visits a lot of customers across Europe and helps them with their strategy to apply Linux in embedded systems. Klaas has been a speaker at various conferences on the topics of Real Time Linux and UMTS - the latter because he is lead developer of a 3G mobile communications software for Linux called umtsmon. Klaas also writes as a free-lance author for several magazines. He lives in Eindhoven, the Netherlands with his wife Ellen.

02.45 - 03.30 : When good architecture goes bad - and what to do about it!

Even the most flexible software system can suffer as fixes and changes are made to it over the years by an ever-changing team in response to ever-changing requirements.

In this session we'll consider such changes and look at how they can erode a system's software architecture. We'll also look at some examples of software architecture erosion and will take pleasure in seeing the mess that others have ended up in. You'll also learn about some valuable practices that can be adopted to prevent or slow erosion so that your software systems don't end up being case studies for future deliveries of this talk.

Biography:
Mark Dalgarno is a senior consultant at Software Acumen with over twenty years in the industry at all levels from programmer to head of software development.

Mark is also editor of the Code Generation Network - a specialist web resource focussed on model-driven software development tools and technologies. In this capacity Mark is the main organiser of this year's
Cambridge-based Code Generation 2008 conference. Mark is a Chartered Engineer (IEE), a Member of the British Computer Society (BCS), is on the committee of the BCS Software Practice Advancement sub-group and organises this group's regular Cambridge events.

A regular speaker at conferences such as ACCU, SPA and SPLC, Mark brings a unique perspective (and style) to the Embedded Masterclass. Visit Mark's blog - The Variation Point - where he writes mainly on software - for more information.

03-30 - 4.30 : Tea/Coffee Break - Meet Exhibitors

 

Thanks and best regards
Richard Blackburn
Organiser
richard@energi-tech.co.uk