In the digital age, we increasingly use complex systems, such as MRI scanners, systems that control bridge openings, or machines that produce computer chips. All these systems have supervisory controllers in their software. These controllers ensure the correct and safe operation of the systems. Technological advancements are making these systems increasingly complex and demanding higher performance, which amplifies the need for more advanced and costly supervisory controllers. At the same time, there is a shortage of qualified engineers to develop this software.
Synthesis-based engineering
In the 'Explainable synthesis of supervisory controllers' (ExSyn) project, in collaboration with ASML, we will research how to develop supervisory controllers more efficiently using synthesis-based engineering (SBE).
Traditionally, software engineers design how the system should respond to every possible situation and then manually program the control software. In SBE, however, engineers describe how the system works and what the safety requirements are, such as that a bridge must not open if there are cars on it and that robots must not collide. The computer then automatically creates guaranteed correct models of the control software, taking into account the many trillions of possible situations the system might encounter, to ensure the system is always safe. Based on these models, the computer also automatically generates the software implementation. This saves engineers a lot of time and reduces the chance of errors.
SBE differs from traditional development methods, and many engineers are not yet familiar with it. This hinders the adoption of SBE. Therefore, in this project, we aim to enhance the understanding and traceability of the SBE process, empowering engineers to trust this innovative approach and implement it seamlessly. This not only saves time and reduces errors for engineers, but also enables companies to develop superior control software efficiently.
