Analysis of operation delay and execution rate constraints for embedded systems

Constraints on the delay and execution rate of operations in an embedded application are needed to ensure its timely interaction with a reactive enviroment. We present a static analysis of the timing constraints satisfiability by a given system design consisting of interacting hardware and software components. We use this analysis to evaluate the effect of individual timing constraints on system design issues, such as the choice of the software runtime system, bounds on loop, invocations, and the hardware-software synchronization operations. We show, by example, the use of static analysis techniques in the design of embedded systems.