Embedded Systems

Nowadays embedded systems turn up in nearly all areas of our everyday lives – from the new cars we drive, and the trains and planes we take to all kinds of common electronic devices – like the check-out tills at the supermarket. Discreetly hidden from view, embedded systems take up the key functions performed by technical systems; future innovation and progress will be increasingly driven by the multi-layered functionality they offer. A good deal of this functionality is given by the use of software in control devices – the past ten years have seen a huge increase in the number of car-integrated electronic control devices whilst the complexity and diversity of embedded systems has also grown apace. The switch-over to software-intensive electronic systems can be clearly seen in the automotive industry where mechanical and hydraulic systems have given way to software-intensive technologies which are now decisive for maintaining the vendor’s competitive edge.

New Challenges for the Development Cycle

The high quality requirements placed on such systems in concert with their increasing complexity and the ever greater role played by interaction between their various subsystems all lead to new stringent challenges in terms of design methods and development tools. The key challenges now facing manufacturers and suppliers alike are how to cope with increasing system complexity whilst making no concessions in terms of quality and continually reducing costs for future innovation cycles.

Research for Tomorrow’s Production

The expertise of our Embedded Systems Engineering department and its know-how in terms of model-based software development and software testing for embedded systems is driving the adaptation of groundbreaking technologies and new standards from computer sciences specially for the development techniques traditionally used by Systems Engineering. Model-based development and testing methodologies are now being researched and applied with a special focus on quality-based development because in terms of industrial development increased productivity is not the only benchmark – nowadays it’s the reliability and durability of systems that generate the decisive competitive advantages.

Research in Embedded Systems Engineering

Research in Embedded Systems Engineering addresses a raft of methodological and technical requirements. Our research and development work is specially geared to the following areas:

• Development of end-to-end standardized processes, systems and test models
• Integration of model-based notations and methods in existing development cycles
• Automation of development stages by coupling software systems
• Automatic validation of quality specifications and system testing

Working together with our industry partners, researchers in Embedded Systems Engineering are developing solutions to meet the coming challenges posed by the development of embedded systems using modern methods of software technology. Particularly in the field of Automotive Software Engineering, our team is engaged in pioneering improved processes, continuous procedure models and optimized process models for a new dimension of quality in the car.

We work together with you to implement new technologies and techniques in viable real world applications that secure your leading edge – now and in the future too.