The problem addressed by this paper is that real-time embedded software today is commonly built using programming abstractions with little or no temporal semantics. The focus is on computer-based systems where multiple computers are connected on a network and interact with and through physical processes (the plant) via sensors and actuators. Such systems are often termed cyber-physical systems (CPS). The paper discusses the use of an extension to the Ptolemy II framework as a coordination language for the design of distributed real-time embedded systems. Specifically, the paper shows how to use modal models in the context of the PTIDES extension of Ptolemy II to provide a firm basis for the design of an important class of problems. Several examples are given to show the use of this environment in the design of interesting practical real-time systems.

Author Comments: This work was supported in part by the Center for Hybrid and Embedded Software Systems (CHESS) at UC Berkeley, which receives support from the National Science Foundation (NSF awards #0720882 (CSR-EHS: PRET) and #0720841 (CSR-CPS)), the U. S. Army Research Office (ARO #W911NF-07-2-0019), the U. S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (MURI #FA9550-06-0312), the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), the State of California Micro Program, and the following companies: Agilent, Bosch, Lockheed-Martin, National Instruments, Thales and Toyota.