Checking Consistency of Real-Time Requirements on Distributed Automotive Control Software Early in the Development Process Using UPPAAL

The next generation of automotive control software will run on complex networks of control units, connected by a multitude of different bus systems. With a rising number of safety-critical functions being realized (at least partly) in software, real-time requirements for distributed functions become more important (e.g., time until a system reacts to a perceived driving situation). Defining and refining such requirements consistently during system development is not trivial. Inconsistencies or unrealizability can easily be introduced when decomposing requirements (e.g., time budgets) for functions that run on multiple control units. The automotive industry is actively pursuing methods for finding such problems as early as possible in the system design. In this paper, we present some initial work on the automated verification of requirements on distributed control functions that are deployed to networks of automotive control units. The presented analysis provides insights into the consistency of requirements and relies only on information available at the end of the planning stage in the development process.