Runtime verification of component-based embedded software

To deal with increasing size and complexity, component-based software development has been employed in embedded systems. Due to several faults, components can make wrong assumptions about the working mode of the system and the working modes of the other components. To detect mode inconsistencies at runtime, we propose a "lightweight" error detection mechanism, which can be integrated with component-based embedded systems. We define links among three levels of abstractions: the runtime behavior of components, the working mode specifications of components and the specification of the working modes of the system. This allows us to detect the user observable runtime errors. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated by implementing a software monitor integrated into a TV system. © 2012 Springer-Verlag London Limited.