Synoptic: A Domain-Specific Modeling Language for Space On-board Application Software

The ANR project SPaCIFYhas designed and partially implemented a domain-specific environment, called Synoptic, for real-time embedded on-board space application, and especially control and command software. Synopticis an Eclipse-based modeling workbench which supports many aspects of aerospace software design. As such, it is a domain-specific framework which provides the engineer with a unified modeling environment to handle all heterogeneous analysis, design, implementation and verification tasks, as defined in collaboration with the industrial end users of the project. Relying on the standard modeling languages used in the domain such as Simulink /Stateflow and AADL, SynopticDSML covers the design of on-board applications, control and command modules using imperative synchronous programs, data-flow diagrams, mode automata, and also the partitioning, timing and mapping of these modules onto satellite architectures. An application is modeled as a set of synchronous parts called islands, communicating through asynchronous shared variables managed by the middleware. Synopticthus provides GALS capacities for space applications.