Europe Invests Over Euro 3M for Research and Development on Model-Based Tools for Embedded Systems in Aerospace and Defense

MILAN, Italy and READING, England, Nov. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Open Group today announced that it has partnered with a consortium of leading European real-time technology developers, industrial manufacturers and research organizations to develop a new model-based software development framework for complex real-time systems in Aerospace and Defense. Supported by the European Commission, the Model-based Methods and Tools for Avionics and Surveillance Embedded Systems (MADES) project is investing over Euro 3.5 million (US$5.1 million) to develop an advanced framework covering all phases of real-time systems development — from design to code generation and deployment. This platform-independent framework will maintain the robust reliability essential for safety and mission-critical applications while providing improvements in developer productivity, reusability of code, and lower costs for maintenance and retargeting to newer multicore platforms.

Led by TXT e-solutions, an Aerospace and Defense engineering company, the MADES consortium includes The Open Group; University of York; Polytechnic University of Milan; Cassidian, an EADS company and worldwide leader in global security solutions and systems; and Softeam, an embedded systems technology supplier specializing in tools for advanced model driven architectures. Softeam is directing the research to ensure the MADES project results meet the highest level of standards for reliability and real-time performance within the industry.

The strategic objective of the MADES project is to develop new model-based verification and simulation methods, along with new model-based code generation methods and tools that will address both conventional programming languages and hardware description languages. The MADES tools will provide developers the ability to more easily reuse existing software components, ensure consistency of complex systems, and exploit advanced multicore hardware platforms.

"Embedded systems developers require new tools and methods based on recognized standards to design complex applications utilizing model-driven development methods," said Flavio Fusetti, Director of Aerospace & Defense Business at TXT e-solutions. "The MADES project will provide an evolutionary path that integrates existing development methods providing a way forward to more advanced model-based design. These development techniques will also enable real-time systems developers to achieve higher performance levels, greater reliability, and scalability with increasingly sophisticated multicore platforms."

In addition, the MADES tools and technologies will be integrated into a single framework that provides a seamless environment for modeling, validation, and code generation of Avionic and Surveillance solutions. With the imminent arrival of the new avionics standard DO-178C (Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification) later this year, embedded systems developers will be able to adopt model driven methods that will dramatically improve the way safety-critical systems are developed.

The MADES project applies a holistic approach in researching new tools and technologies that support design, validation, simulation, and code generation, while providing better support for component reuse. New annotation and verification methods are also being developed to ensure overall system consistency. In addition, advanced code generation technologies will address both conventional programming languages and hardware description languages providing compile-time virtualization techniques that can cope with the increasing complexity of modern multicore hardware architectures.

"The MADES consortium partners are experts in each phase of model-driven systems development.  This project will bring new innovations to the process of transforming software designs into deployable systems that have the required reliability and assurances for safety-critical applications," said David Lounsbury, Chief Technical Officer at The Open Group. "We're confident the powerful model-based tools already being evaluated by industrial partners will allow applications developers to be more productive and manage expected increases in system complexity."

The MADES project is financed in part by the 7th Framework Programme, an initiative of the European Community created to foster European research and development of new technologies, applications and industries. The project will run through mid-2012 and is expected to contribute to ongoing standards development activities related to unified modeling language (UML) and modeling and analysis of real time and embedded (MARTE) systems. For more information on the MADES project, visit: www.mades-project.org

About TXT e-solutions

TXT e-solutions is an international leading company in the supply of software and strategic solutions to large enterprises. Main areas of business are: Demand & Supply Chain Management with the TXT Perform offering, especially targeting Luxury, Fashion, Retail and Consumer Goods sectors; Software for Complex Operations & Manufacturing, for Aerospace, Defense, High-Tech Manufacturing and Financial Institutions, with the TXT NEXT offering. TXT is listed in the STAR segment of Borsa Italiana – London Stock Exchange with Headquarters in Milan and offices in Italy, France, UK, Germany and Spain. Further information can be found at www.txtgroup.com.

About The Open Group

The Open Group is an international vendor- and technology-neutral consortium upon which organizations rely to lead the development of IT standards and certifications, and to provide them with access to key industry peers, suppliers and best practices. The Open Group provides guidance and an open environment in order to ensure interoperability and vendor neutrality. Further information on The Open Group can be found at www.opengroup.org.

SOURCE The Open Group