Heterogeneous Modeling and Design

Ptolemy Picture This project is part of State of California MICRO Program of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Overview

The Heterogeneous Modeling and Design (HMAD) project is a 2 phase, 36 month, Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) sponsored program to develop a design methodology, and associated modeling software, for composite, heterogeneous systems. Such systems combine diverse implementation technologies, including microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), microwave circuits, analog circuits, digital circuits, and embedded software. They also combine modeling and design paradigms, including physical modeling using differential equations, continuous-time signal processing, discrete-time signal processing, and discrete-event controllers. They are invariably concurrent, involving diverse modules that operate at the same time and interact through continuous signals or discrete messages. The focus of the project is on the theory and technology of heterogeneous modeling of heterogeneous concurrent systems.

Formerly entitled Distributed Adaptive Signal Processing (DASP), this project focuses on fundamental modeling and design techniques that are not specific to signal processing. Phase 1 is an 18 month effort to develop the supporting infrastructure. The infrastructure consists of modular design tools, domain-specific design tools, and models for the interaction of dynamic, discrete controllers with with static digital and analog subsystems. Phase 2 is an 18 month effort to develop a process level type system theory capturing different kinds of interaction of concurrent modules, and concurrency semantics for regulation of heterogenous combinations of such interaction semantics. Phase 2 will also focus on formal analysis, debugging, and system level visualization for heterogeneous concurrent systems.