Model Based System Development in Automotive

The paper presents a major part of the STEP-X project (Structured Development Process by the example of X-By-Wire-Application in the automotive), namely a seamless, model based software development process in automotive engineering.

Our process is model based and supported by a tool chain. The tool DOORS is used for requirements management and engineering whereas the CASE tool Artisan RtS based on the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and the CASE tool Ascet SD are used for specification and design purposes. Each of these tools has its particular strength in a certain design phase.

We propose designing rules and modeling guidelines for the development of state based behavior which conforms to seamless model transformation in our tool chain. The rules are checked by an embedded rule-checker.

Additionally we illustrate our approach in a case study on a subsystem of the Volkswagen car electronics. The case study is characterized by state-oriented and concurrent behavior as well as time and value-discrete information processing.