DESTECS

Design Support and Tooling for Embedded Control Software

‌‌The DESTECS research project was funded by the European Union Framework 7 programme and co-ordinated by the University of Twente.

DESTECS addressed the challenge of developing fault-tolerant embedded systems.  The project developed design methods and tools that bridge the gap between the disciplines involved in designing an embedded system: systems, control, mechanical and software engineering, for example. These disciplines, which have grown up separately, base design on different forms of model - some use discrete event models, and some use continuous time - inhibiting our ability to compare design alternatives rapidly and in particular to model faults and fault tolerance mechanisms that have to cross the boundaries between models. This "design gap" leads to sub-optimal designs and long development lead times.

DESTECS developed methods and tools that combine continuous time system models with discrete event controller models through co-simulation to allow multidisciplinary modelling, including modelling of faults and fault tolerance mechanisms. The analysis of these effects at every stage in a design process helps to build more dependable real-time embedded systems.

DESTECS developed a tool, called Crescendo.  You can download the most recent version of the Crescendo tool here.

You can find project outputs, publictions and deliverables on the DESTECS homepage.