Mission critical tool chain project completes successfully

The project has created an integrated and open reference tool chain for complex safety and mission critical embedded systems and software development that is not only highly dependable, safe and efficient but also reduces design and deployment costs by up to 50%. The INTERESTED reference tool chain assimilates tools from leading European embedded tool vendors into three distinct design domains: system and software design; networking and execution platform; and timing and code analysis. This is said to cover the full spectrum of embedded systems and software development. "We are extremely pleased to have brought the project to a highly successful conclusion," said project coordinator Eric Bantegnie, ceo of Esterel Technologies. "It represents a major opportunity to improve the cost, quality and time to market of embedded systems in Europe." According to Bantegnie, the project has been a massive effort. "The past 12 months have seen the completion of 17 integrations between the 11 different tools in the INTERESTED reference tool chain, so far resulting in 14 new product prototypes," he noted. "This extends from requirements capture down to the actual integration of the code on target, including verification and validation." The tool vendors who participated in the consortium included Atego, Esterel Technologies, Evidence, Symtavision, Sysgo and TTTech Computertechnik. The reference tool chain has also been evaluated and validated by several major European embedded tool users on practical applications against real world design interoperability and cost reduction requirements. These industrial partners, including Airbus, Thales and Magneti Marelli, are said to be representative of the primary, mission and safety critical target industries. All reported significant productivity improvements. Hedley Apperly Atego's vp of product and marketing and the consortium's marketing spokesperson, added: "The tool chain more than meets the requirements of major European companies across a broad spectrum of industries. We are fully productising the integrations we have developed as part of the project, as will the other tool vendors involved in the consortium."