An integrative approach for embedded software design with UML and Simulink

The increased amount of software in automotive embedded systems has challenged its C code development to successfully manage software design, reuse, flexibility and efficient implementation. Model-based methods help to address such challenges with more abstract specification, code generation and simulation to determine if software design will meet requirements. However, in todays development processes lots of different legacy artifacts are involved, that hamper a frictionless migration from C code to model-based design. Therefore, migration concepts and adequate domain-specific methods with adoption of modeling languages and their tools in established embedded coding environments are needed. In our approach we present a novel migration concept considering the integration of two different modeling languages UML and Simulink in a traditional automotive software engineering process. The proof is demonstrated within the software development of a real automotive car door-controller ECU.