An Error-Localization, Validation and Optimization Tool for Embedded Code Augmentation: an Architecture Oriented Approach

Embedded systems are usually designed for a single or a specified set of tasks. This specificity means the system design as well as its hardware/software development can be highly optimized. Embedded software must meet the requirements such as high reliability operation on resource-constrained platforms, real time constraints and rapid development. This necessitates the adoption of static machine codes analysis tools running on a host machine for the validation and optimization of embedded system codes, which can help meet all of these goals. This could significantly augment the software quality and is still a challenging field.Embedded systems are usually designed for a single or a specified set of tasks. This specificity means the system design as well as its hardware/software development can be highly optimized. Embedded software must meet the requirements such as high reliability operation on resource-constrained platforms, real time constraints and rapid development. This necessitates the adoption of static machine codes analysis tools running on a host machine for the validation and optimization of embedded system codes, which can help meet all of these goals. This could significantly augment the software quality and is still a challenging field.Embedded systems are usually designed for a single or a specified set of tasks. This specificity means the system design as well as its hardware/software development can be highly optimized. Embedded software must meet the requirements such as high reliability operation on resource-constrained platforms, real time constraints and rapid development. This necessitates the adoption of static machine codes analysis tools running on a host machine for the validation and optimization of embedded system codes, which can help meet all of these goals. This could significantly augment the software quality and is still a challenging field.Embedded systems are usually designed for a single or a specified set of tasks. This specificity means the system design as well as its hardware/software development can be highly optimized. Embedded software must meet the requirements such as high reliability operation on resource-constrained platforms, real time constraints and rapid development. This necessitates the adoption of static machine codes analysis tools running on a host machine for the validation and optimization of embedded system codes, which can help meet all of these goals. This could significantly augment the software quality and is still a challenging field.This dissertation contributes to an architecture oriented code validation, error localization and optimization technique assisting the embedded system designer in software debugging, to make it more effective at early detection of software bugs that are otherwise hard to detect, using the static analysis of machine codes. The focus of this work is to develop methods that automatically localize faults as well as optimize the code and thus improve the debugging process as well as quality of the code.Validation is done with the help of rules of inferences formulated for the target processor. The rules govern the occurrence of illegitimate/out of place instructions and code sequences for executing the computational and integrated peripheral functions. The stipulated rules are encoded in propositional logic formulae and their compliance is tested individually in all possible execution paths of the application programs. An incorrect sequence of machine code pattern is identified using slicing techniques on the control flow graph generated from the machine code.An algorithm to assist the compiler to eliminate the redundant bank switching codes and decide on optimum data allocation to banked memory resulting in minimum number of bank switching codes in embedded system software is proposed. A relation matrix and a state transition diagram formed for the active memory bank state transition corresponding to each bank selection instruction is used for the detection of redundant codes. Instances of code redundancy based on the stipulated rules for the target processor are identified.This validation and optimization tool can be integrated to the system development environment. It is a novel approach independent of compiler/assembler, applicable to a wide range of processors once appropriate rules are formulated. Program states are identified mainly with machine code pattern, which drastically reduces the state space creation contributing to an improved state-of-the-art model checking. Though the technique described is general, the implementation is architecture oriented, and hence the feasibility study is conducted on PIC16F87X microcontrollers. The proposed tool will be very useful in steering novices towards correct use of difficult microcontroller features in developing embedded systems.

Application for fault location in electrical power distribution systems

Fault location has been studied deeply for transmission lines due to its importance in power systems. Nowadays the problem of fault location on distribution systems is receiving special attention mainly because of the power quality regulations. In this context, this paper presents an application software developed in Matlabtrade that automatically calculates the location of a fault in a distribution power system, starting from voltages and currents measured at the line terminal and the model of the distribution power system data. The application is based on a N-ary tree structure, which is suitable to be used in this application due to the highly branched and the non- homogeneity nature of the distribution systems, and has been developed for single-phase, two-phase, two-phase-to-ground, and three-phase faults. The implemented application is tested by using fault data in a real electrical distribution power system

Studies about the atomic capabilities concept for linear control systems in physical multi-agent environments

This paper shows the impact of the atomic capabilities concept to include control-oriented knowledge of linear control systems in the decisions making structure of physical agents. These agents operate in a real environment managing physical objects (e.g. their physical bodies) in coordinated tasks. This approach is presented using an introspective reasoning approach and control theory based on the specific tasks of passing a ball and executing the offside manoeuvre between physical agents in the robotic soccer testbed. Experimental results and conclusions are presented, emphasising the advantages of our approach that improve the multi-agent performance in cooperative systems

Software libre como elemento necesario para la democracia de la multitud (Otros Temas)

En los textos de Empire y Multitude, Antonio Negri y Michael Hardt proponen que en el mundo actual la fuerza dominante que controla el capitalismo, y así el poder, es el Imperio. El Imperio obtiene su fuerza a través del control de la producción intelectual y su poder está ere cien - do durante este período de transición en el modelo capitalista. En este ensayo, se argumenta que los oprimidos por el Imperio, quienes conforman como clase la multitud, necesitan el software libre para crear su sueño: la democracia. Este software es a la vez el mejor ejemplo de como puede ser la democracia y una herramienta que permite la ampliación de ella. Además, su potencial en la región andina es todavía mayor por la debilidad del modelo de democracia liberal que promociona el Imperio.

Application of multivariable control using artificial neural networks in a debutanizer distillation column

LOPES, Jose Soares Batista et al. Application of multivariable control using artificial neural networks in a debutanizer distillation column.In: INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING - COBEM, 19, 5-9 nov. 2007, Brasilia. Anais... Brasilia, 2007

A software to process daily solar radiation data

This work presents one software developed to process solar radiation data. This software can be used in meteorological and climatic stations, and also as a support for solar radiation measurements in researches of solar energy availability allowing data quality control, statistical calculations and validation of models, as well as ease interchanging of data. (C) 1999 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Frequency-adjustable positive sequence detector for power conditioning applications

This paper proposes a novel and simple positive sequence detector (PSD), which is inherently self-adjustable to fundamental frequency deviations by means of a software-based PLL (Phase Locked Loop). Since the proposed positive sequence detector is not based on Fortescue's classical decomposition and no special input filtering is needed, its dynamic response may be as fast as one fundamental cycle. The digital PLL ensures that the positive sequence components can be calculated even under distorted waveform conditions and fundamental frequency deviations. For the purpose of validating the proposed models, the positive sequence detector has been implemented in a PC-based Power Quality Monitor and experimental results illustrate its good performance. The PSD algorithm has also been evaluated in the control loop of a Series Active Filter and simulation results demonstrate its effectiveness in a closed-loop system. Moreover, considering single-phase applications, this paper also proposes a general single-phase PLL and a Fundamental Wave Detector (FWD) immune to frequency variations and waveform distortions. © 2005 IEEE.

Carbon isotope composition as a tool to control the quality of herbs and medicinal plants

Isotope screening is a simple test for determining the photosynthetic pathway used by plants. The scope of this work was to classify the photosynthetic type of some herbs and medicinal plants through studies of the carbon isotope composition (δ13C). Also, we propose the use of carbon isotope composition as a tool to control the quality of herbs and medicinal plants. For studies of δ13C, δ 13C‰ = [R (sample)/R (standard) - 1] × 10-3, dry leaves powdered in cryogenic mill were analyzed in a mass spectrometer coupled with an elemental analyzer for determining the ratio R = 13CO2/12CO2. In investigation of δ13C of 55 species, 23 botanical families, and 44 species possessed a C3 photosynthetic type. Six species found among the botanical families Euphorbiaceae and Poaceae were C4 plants, and 5 species found among the botanical families Agavaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Liliaceae possessed CAM-type photosynthesis. Carbon isotope composition of plants can be used as quality control of herbs and medicinal plants, allowing the identification of frauds or contaminations. Also, the information about the photosynthetic type found for these plants can help in introducing and cultivating exotic and wild herbs and medicinal plants.

Low cost technology applied to thermometry of grains

Modern agriculture demands investments in technology that allows the farmers to improve productivity and quality of their products, aiming to establish themselves in a competitive market. However, the high costs of acquiring and maintaining such technology may be an inhibiting factor to its spread and acceptance, mainly to a large number of small grain Brazilian farmers, who need low cost innovative technological solutions, suitable for their financial reality. Starting from this premise, this paper presents the development of a low cost prototype for monitoring the temperature and humidity of grains stored in silos, and the economic implications of cost/benefit ratio of innovative applications of low cost technology in the process of thermometry of grains. The prototype was made of two electronic units, one for acquisition and another one for data reception, as well as software, which offered the farmers more precise information for the control of aeration. The data communication between the electronic units and the software was reliable and both were developed using low cost electronic components and free software tools. The developed system was considered as potentially viable to small grain Brazilian farmers; it can be used in any type of small silos. It provided reduction of costs of installation and maintenance and also offered an easy expansion system; besides the low cost of development when compared to similar products available in the Brazilian market.

The use of molecular spectra simulation for diagnostics of reactive flows

The C 2 * radical is used as a system probe tool to the reactive flow diagnostic, and it was chosen due to its large occurrence in plasma and combustion in aeronautics and aerospace applications. The rotational temperatures of C 2 * species were determined by the comparison between experimental and theoretical data. The simulation code was developed by the authors, using C++ language and the object oriented paradigm, and it includes a set of new tools that increase the efficacy of the C 2 * probe to determine the rotational temperature of the system. A brute force approach for the determination of spectral parameters was adopted in this version of the computer code. The statistical parameter c 2 was used as an objective criterion to determine the better match of experimental and synthesized spectra. The results showed that the program works even with low-quality experimental data, typically collected from in situ airborne compact apparatus. The technique was applied to flames of a Bunsen burner, and the rotational temperature of ca. 2100 K was calculated.

Computational support for the process of software requirement specification

The software industry has become more and more concerned with the appropriate application of activities that composes requirement engineering as a way to improve the quality of its products. In order to support these activities, several computational tools have been available in the market, although it is still possible to find a lack of resources related to some activities. In this context, this paper proposes the inclusion of a module to aid in the requirements specification to a tool called Requirements Elicitation Support Tool. This module allows to specify requirements in accordance with IEEE 830 standard, thus contributing to the documentation of the requirements established for a software system, besides supporting the learning of concepts related to the requirements specification, which improves the skills of users of the tool. © 2012 IEEE.

TAO - A software platform for autonomous mobile robots

To date, different techniques of navigation for mobile robots have been developed. However, the experimentation of these techniques is not a trivial task because usually it is not possible to reuse the developed control software due to system incompabilities. This paper proposes a software platform that provides means for creating reusable software modules through the standardization of software interfaces, which represent the various robot modules. © 2012 ICROS.

Image quality evaluation of chest for computed radiography

The daily-to-day of medical practice is marked by a constant search for an accurate diagnosis and therapeutic assessment. For this purpose the doctor serves up a wide variety of imaging techniques, however, the methods using ionizing radiation still the most widely used because it is considered cheaper and above all very efficient when used with control and quality. The optimization of the risk-benefit ratio is considered a major breakthrough in relation to conventional radiology, though this is not the reality of computing and digital radiology, where Brazil has not established standards and protocols for this purpose. This work aims to optimize computational chest radiographs (anterior-posterior projection-AP). To achieve this objective were used a homogeneous phantoms that simulate the characteristics of absorption and scattering of radiation close to the chest of a patient standard. Another factor studied was the subjective evaluation of image quality, carried out by visual grading assessment (VGA) by specialists in radiology, using an anthropomorphic phantom to identify the best image for a particular pathology (fracture or pneumonia). Quantifying the corresponding images indicated by the radiologist was performed from the quantification of physical parameters (Detective Quantum Efficiency - DQE, Modulation Transfer Function - MTF and Noise Power Spectrum - NPS) using the software MatLab®. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.

Desenvolvimento de software aplicativo para controle de custeios por atividades identificáveis nos processos de fabricação

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Aquisição de serviços de TI como um processo de qualidade no fornecimento de software - estudo de caso de terceirização em medicina transfusional

Face às dimensões continentais do país, as organizações situadas em regiões carentes de fornecedores de desenvolvimento de sistemas de software especializado estão distribuindo suas operações de Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO), para outras regiões. Como consequência, a redução de custos e a melhoria da contratação de serviços em Tecnologia da Informação (TI) têm sido os dois grandes focos da atualidade, incentivando à noção de parceiros múltiplos em operações recíprocas e engajados tanto em relacionamentos formais quanto informais como a terceirização. Os serviços terceirizados são diversificados e entre eles está o desenvolvimento e manutenção de software através de contratos, realizados por organizações situadas em regiões onde existe demanda de software com características específicas. Sabe-se que a terceirização de Software e Serviços Correlatos (S&SC), que inclui as atividades de contratação e gestão do processo de aquisição é uma tarefa complexa e necessária para as organizações, principalmente no que diz respeito às condições envolvidas na contratação. Nesses casos, o exercício da governança tem sido um importante instrumento para, com a terceirização de TI, promover a gestão adequada do risco e o retorno do investimento. Sendo assim, o processo de compra ou venda de um produto de software nesse ambiente é uma atividade que envolve um grande número de conceitos subjetivos, referentes principalmente a características dos produtos. Torna-se maior o desafio quando se trata de software de prateleira modificável (Modified Off-The-Shelf - MOTS) que sofrem modificações e adições de requisitos a cada novo cliente. Neste contexto, buscando adequar as exigências do mercado com as necessidades de métodos e diretrizes para melhoria dos processos de aquisição e fornecimento de software, este trabalho procura explorar as principais características acerca do contrato, do controle de qualidade, e os resultados dos relacionamentos adotados na implementação de projetos de terceirização desenvolvidos á distância. São apresentados os resultados obtidos de um estudo de caso conduzido em uma empresa pública de Medicina Transfusional situada no norte do Brasil que adotou este processo. Por fim, este texto apresenta uma discussão sobre os diferenciais e limitações deste trabalho, e apresenta direcionamentos para investigações futuras neste campo de estudo.