A formalism for the specification of operationally embedded reactive systems [in aircraft guidance/navigation systems]

The Operational Procedure Model, presented in this paper, provides a formalism for the specification of the behavior of operationally embedded reactive systems found in aircraft guidance and navigation systems. The model assigns semantic interpretations of the operational procedure construct to the elements of a finite state machine. The operational procedure construct captures the embedded operational behavior of the system over all the missions in the life-cycle. The finite state machine captures the reactive behavior of the system. The model, captured in a data-base and interrogated through a graphical user-interface, can be used for simulation, analysis, and the generation of code and documentation.