Simulation of distributed systems – New methods support development and diagnosis

Abstract

With the increasing of complexity of distributed electronic systems in the field of automation and automotive engineering, it is becoming more and more important for small- and medium-sized producers of electronic control units (ECU) to use advanced simulation techniques. These techniques enable them to develop and test single ECUs and to model and simulate the rest of the distributed system. Here, a distributed system is modelled as a network of participants and connections realized by embedded computers and field buses, tasks, and communication parameters. The behaviour of the participants can be described by means of Simulink models, source code in C/C++, and run time statistics. The new techniques were tested for the construction of a communication stack for embedded applications and for the control of a levitating ball with CAN based communication.