SDL Implementations for Wireless Sensor Networks – Incorporation of PragmaDev’s RTDS into the Deterministic Protocol Stack BiPS

Predictable behavior of wireless sensor networks calls for deterministic protocols for network-wide synchronization and collision-free frame transmissions. Furthermore, the execution of these protocols requires tight scheduling under real-time constraints. In previous work, we have devised a framework called BiPS (Black-burst-Integrated Protocol Stack), which provides these functionalities. To achieve the required real-time behavior, BiPS has been implemented manually on bare hardware.

Higher-layer functionalities such as routing protocols or sensor applications are far less time-critical. Therefore, we strive for applying model-driven development, using SDL as abstract modeling language, and commercial tool environments to automatically generate implementations. In this paper, we present how we incorporate implementations generated with PragmaDev’s Real-time Developer Studio (RTDS) into BiPS. Therefore, we have modified and extended the RTDS transition scheduler, and have placed it under the control of the BiPS scheduler. Furthermore, based on RTDS concepts, we have implemented an SDL environment that can access BiPS functionality, e.g., protocols of the MAC layer or hardware devices. In experiments on a wireless sensor node, we have demonstrated that our integration is fully operational and has advantages regarding efficiency and predictability.