Using Model Coverage Analysis to Improve the Controls Development Process

Graphical simulation tools improve the effectiveness and efficiency of embedded controls development by providing an abstract view of a component or system in a visual paradigm. These modeling tools have unambiguous semantics and can execute designs. Coverage analysis can indicate the completeness and consistency of a set of requirements. Recent advances in code synthesis allow very efficient code to be produced directly from the graphical models. When generated code is used without modification model-based coverage analysis is more effective than the same analysis performed on generated code. Coverage analysis within a modeling tool should be consistent with the executable semantics of the tool and should be presented in a form that is easily associated with the graphical diagrams. 2