An Adaptive Design Methodology for Reduction of Product Development Risk

TL;DR

This paper presents an adaptive design methodology for embedded systems that reduces development risk through step-wise prototyping and verification, utilizing a Domain Specific Operational Model and test instrumentation, demonstrated via a case study.

Contribution

It introduces a novel adaptive framework combining prototyping, verification, and risk assessment to lower product development risk in embedded systems.

Findings

Reduces product development risk significantly

Uses Domain Specific Operational Model for testing

Achieves risk reduction with minimal increase in cycle time

Abstract

Embedded systems interaction with environment inherently complicates understanding of requirements and their correct implementation. However, product uncertainty is highest during early stages of development. Design verification is an essential step in the development of any system, especially for Embedded System. This paper introduces a novel adaptive design methodology, which incorporates step-wise prototyping and verification. With each adaptive step product-realization level is enhanced while decreasing the level of product uncertainty, thereby reducing the overall costs. The back-bone of this frame-work is the development of Domain Specific Operational (DOP) Model and the associated Verification Instrumentation for Test and Evaluation, developed based on the DOP model. Together they generate functionally valid test-sequence for carrying out prototype evaluation. With the help of a case study 'Multimode Detection Subsystem' the application of this method is sketched. The design methodologies can be compared by defining and computing a generic performance criterion like Average design-cycle Risk. For the case study, by computing Average design-cycle Risk, it is shown that the adaptive method reduces the product development risk for a small increase in the total design cycle time.