Formalization of a Software Architecture for Embedded Systems: A Process Algebra for SPLICE

SPLICE is an industrially developed and applied software architecture for large-scale distributed embedded systems. The key feature of SPLICE is asynchronous communication between processes. The characteristics of systems built with SPLICE include dynamic data distribution, fault-tolerance, and real-time performance. The objective of the work presented in this paper was to use a formal model to reason about the behaviour of SPLICE systems and to support the design process in system decomposition and refinement. We formalize SPLICE using a process algebra called SPLICE Process Algebra. This process algebra allows us to derive properties of the SPLICE architecture. From these properties a set of guidelines can be produced that aid in the development of SPLICE applications.