Verification and Validation of Dynamic Reconfiguration in Integrated Modular Avionics With a Matlab/Simulink Arinc 653 Blockset

Abstract

The development of safety-critical avionics systems demands a great rigor for structured engineering practices. Model-Based Design (MBD) has emerged as a methodology, where models with their formal/semi-formal basis are not only used to specify and eventually automate the implementation of the systems but also provide means to produce evidence regarding their dependability. MBD fosters the tight coupling between system design and simulation. Simulation, the execution of the models, enables virtual verification and validation (V&V). Thereby the feedback cycles are shortened and faster design iterations are enabled. In this paper, we present a virtual V&V approach for the dynamic reconfiguration features in an Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) system using MBD. The IMA platform and the applications are modeled using the MATLAB/Simulink ARINC 653 Blockset. The model simulation is used for the V&V of the reconfiguration mechanisms that are designed for fault adaptation. The demonstration consists of a model of the IMA platform and simulation for the reconfiguration of platform components during runtime. The fidelity of the simulation towards its intended hardware environment is increased with parameter considerations from an exemplary embedded system. We report agile development using MBD and V&V in simulation with results matching tests from the referenced embedded hardware.