Applying object-oriented technology to embedded software

The results and new technology proposal of applying object-oriented technologies to embedded control software are discussed in this paper. The following obstacles exist when we apply object-oriented technologies to embedded control software: (1) the analysis and design method for control algorithms and the method of reusing them as software components, and (2) the size reduction method limiting the advantages of object-oriented technologies. We propose solutions for each of them. First, we extend the usual object-oriented analysis method; the object structures are identified based on the structure of the control algorithms. Second, we give a hierarchical implementation architecture on small microcomputers. We use assembly language at the lower level of this architecture, and the use of the C++ language is restricted to the upper level. We show this mixed use of an object-oriented language with assembly language gives the expected balance of productivity and performance.