TY - BOOK
T1 - Reverse engineering technology as a tool of embedded software
T2 - A solution from PL/M code to structure charts
AU - Rytilä, Hannu
PY - 1994
Y1 - 1994
N2 - The number of real-time computer systems in which
embedded software has been
used has dramatically increased during the eighties. Many
such systems have now
been used from ten to sixteen years. The oldest embedded
software applications
now being maintained were developed without the help of
any high-level design
languages, advanced methods and CASE tools. Reverse
engineering has, therefore,
become a viable means for improving the maintainability
of embedded software.
This study introduces reverse engineering as a technology
that can be used in
the maintenance of embedded software. The technologies
were adopted in a
reverse engineering tool, which is able to produce
structure charts
automatically from PL\M programs. Syntax analysis is
introduced as a principal
solution to extract data required in the derivation of
the charts. Since
structure charts are language oriented descriptions, the
data can be easily
transformed to structure charts compatible with a
commercial CASE environment.
The more advanced technologies, which are needed in the
reverse engineering of
higher level SA/SD-RT descriptions, are introduced mainly
in the base of
literature. Such reverse engineering process requires
expert knowledge, even
though some parts of the process are automated. This
study characterizes the
knowledge and its usage in reverse engineering. The
framework of
knowledge-based functional analysis, as well as its
implementation that is
partially automated, is described. In addition to the
description of reverse
engineering technology, this study discusses the process
of preventive
maintenance, where the technology is used.
AB - The number of real-time computer systems in which
embedded software has been
used has dramatically increased during the eighties. Many
such systems have now
been used from ten to sixteen years. The oldest embedded
software applications
now being maintained were developed without the help of
any high-level design
languages, advanced methods and CASE tools. Reverse
engineering has, therefore,
become a viable means for improving the maintainability
of embedded software.
This study introduces reverse engineering as a technology
that can be used in
the maintenance of embedded software. The technologies
were adopted in a
reverse engineering tool, which is able to produce
structure charts
automatically from PL\M programs. Syntax analysis is
introduced as a principal
solution to extract data required in the derivation of
the charts. Since
structure charts are language oriented descriptions, the
data can be easily
transformed to structure charts compatible with a
commercial CASE environment.
The more advanced technologies, which are needed in the
reverse engineering of
higher level SA/SD-RT descriptions, are introduced mainly
in the base of
literature. Such reverse engineering process requires
expert knowledge, even
though some parts of the process are automated. This
study characterizes the
knowledge and its usage in reverse engineering. The
framework of
knowledge-based functional analysis, as well as its
implementation that is
partially automated, is described. In addition to the
description of reverse
engineering technology, this study discusses the process
of preventive
maintenance, where the technology is used.
KW - embedded software
KW - reverse engineering
KW - real-time systems
KW - software maintenance
M3 - Report
SN - 951-38-4708-X
T3 - VTT Tiedotteita - Meddelanden - Research Notes
BT - Reverse engineering technology as a tool of embedded software
PB - VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
CY - Espoo
ER -