Real-Time Systems (RTS)

Only 2% of CPUs are found in the desktop computers and servers with which we are all familiar. The remaining 98% are embedded in other systems such as washing machines, mobile phones, cars, aeroplanes and nuclear power plants. Many of these embedded applications are safety critical; a system failure endangers lives. Correct behaviour of real-time systems requires not only that correct results are produced, but also that these correct results are produced in a timely manner. The research of the Real-Time Systems group addresses all aspects of the design, construction, analysis and maintenance of real-time and embedded systems. Current work considers a range of topics including timing analysis, scheduling, systems design, programming languages, operating system kernels, reconfigurable hardware, multiprocessor and distributed systems.

Group Aims

The research of the Real-Time Systems group aims to facilitate the design, construction, analysis and maintenance of potentially complex systems which have real-time constraints. Real-time systems are required to respond to input stimuli within a finite and specified time interval, and are found in many application domains from simple domestic appliances to multimedia systems, large-scale process control and safety critical avionics. The group is among the world's largest academic research groups addressing real-time issues, and enjoys strong links with numerous industrial and academic research partners.

Senior Member: Alan Burns

Contact Person: Andy Wellings

Research Areas

Timing Analysis

Static code analysis
Worst-case execution time analysis
Probabilistic theories of time

Embedded Systems

Multiprocessor platforms and networks-on-chip
Wireless sensor networks
Adaptive and reconfigurable hardware

Operating Systems

Fault tolerance
Kernels
Distributed and parallel architectures

Programming Languages

Concurrent object-oriented languages
Real-Time Java
Ada

System Design

Model-driven design
Search-based engineering
Design methods and tools
Virtual and remote hardware/software prototyping

Scheduling Analysis

Multiprocessor / multicore scheduling
Mixed criticality systems
Uniprocessor scheduling
Network / communications scheduling

Sponsorship

EPSRC
EU
Philips
IBM
BAE Systems
Rapita Systems

Research Projects

ARTIST2
SEBASE
SSEI
JEOPARD
TEMPO
ArtistDesign

Industrial Collaborators

ESA
NASA
QinetiQ
Rolls Royce Aeroengines
Sun Microsystems
Philips
Microsoft
BAE Systems
Rapita Systems

Academic Collaborators

Technische Universität Wien
Università di Pisa
Universidad de Cantabria

Academic Members of the Group

Professor Alan Burns - Group leader
Professor Alan Wellings - Group leader
Dr Neil Audsley
Dr Iain Bate
Dr Ana Cavalcanti (also a member of the High Integrity Systems Engineering Group)
Dr Rob Davis
Dr Leandro Soares Indrusiak
Professor Jim Woodcock (also a member of the High Integrity Systems Engineering Group)

Department of Computer Science