Refinement of UML/MARTE models for the design of networked embedded systems

Network design in distributed embedded applications is a novel challenging task which requires 1) the extraction of communication requirements from application specification and 2) the choice of channels and protocols connecting physical nodes. These issues are faced in the paper by adopting UML/MARTE as specification front-end and repository of refined versions of the model obtained by both simulation and analytical exploration of the design space. The emphasis is on using standard UML/MARTE elements for the description of networked embedded systems to allow re-use, tool interoperability and documentation generation. The approach is explained on a case study related to building automation.