INCHRON

For architects and managers of real-time critical embedded systems

Embedded Systems

Timing and Performance

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INCHRON helps manage timing and performance in complex embedded systems from design to testing. Traditional tools like PowerPoint and Excel fall short—INCHRON fills the gap with purpose-built simulation and analysis tools.

Embedded Systems Timing and Performance

Timing & Performance

In series production projects, the emphasis has traditionally been on functions, features, and safety. However, in the realm of complex real-time critical systems, effective management of timing and performance becomes paramount and must be meticulously handled throughout the entirety of the project.

In today’s context, relying solely on PowerPoint and Excel falls short. INCHRON offers a comprehensive suite of methods, tools, and services tailored to manage the timing aspects of your embedded real-time system and software, guiding you seamlessly from initial requirements to the conclusive testing phase.

Event Chains: A Proven Method

Data travels through your system from component to component and module to module. In addition to data types and content the end-to-end latency is important.

Event chains (DE: Datenfluss-Wirkketten) are an enabling technology for complex systems. Focusing on the data and its processing instead of hardware and software components reduces complexity.

Design, simulate, optimize, analyze and test your event chains with INCHRON!

Example: Headlight Flasher Latency

Using the headlight flasher involves a number of ECUs today. End-to-end latency from the handle to the light is expected to be below 150 ms. This time budget is distributed to several ECUs, networks and software components.

With INCHRON’s model-based simulation  chronSIM this timing and latencies are optimized and timing budgets for each ECU and software component are derived.

Inside the ECUs the RTOS scheduler is optimized.

Save Time & Money by Front-Loading

The concept of front-loading is one of the known best-practices for project management. The cost of bug-fixing increases exponentially over time. Every day you find a problem earlier saves time and money.

With INCHRON checking requirements is done during the architecture and design phase using a model-based simulation. Before and after integration the requirements will be checked against trace files.

Communicate in Your Team

Communicating desired behavior of complex systems is a challenge for development teams today.

Using event chains, the simulation and visualization makes it fun to find the best solution. Everyone will understand the concepts and works towards a optimal solution.

The INCHRON Method

Our method uses these simple steps:

  1. Define formal timing requirements
    2. Build a model of the dynamic architecture
    3. Simulate the dynamic behavior based on the model
    4. Visualize and analyze timing and performance
    5. Test against requirements and create a report.
    6. Import traces from existing implementation for visualization and test
    7. Automate import/export of models, test and reporting.
    8. Improve incrementally and iteratively.

Virtual Integration on All Levels

Model-based development and simulation allows early “virtual” integration and verification of requirements. Exploring design alternatives at the PC has the benefit of finding the best option before going into expensive implementation.

Checking architecture and design before going in to implementation of systems, software and change requests enables early detections of problems. Good bye trial-and-error!

INCHRON support multiple architecture levels like logical architecture, vehicle architecture, ECU architecture and software architecture.

Test, Test, Test

Test against your formal timing requirements to see the current state of your project. Test the design of your dynamic architecture against timing requirements. Test your software implementation against individual requirements. Test your software and system before and after integration.

Automation and reports included.

Integration with Your Existing Software & Workflow Automation

Often information about the dynamic behavior of systems and software is already available in other software. INCHRON provides a Python API and XML files to exchange data with 3rd party software. Easy!

Our tools come with a state-of-the-art design and visualization GUI. For automation (e.g. CI/CD) everything can be run in batch mode / CLI mode. Tools are available on Windows, Linux and Cloud (docker container).

Automated checking of timing-requirements is the best way to continuously monitor the progress of a real-time critical embedded project.

chronVIEW imports all common trace format.

Integrate INCHRON in your CI/CD workflows!

Product Portfolio

chronSIM

Unleash the Power of Timing Simulation

chronSIM is a simulation tool for real-time embedded systems. It uses an integrated model of the hardware and software to predict the timing and performance of processes in a real-time operating system, taking into account the effects of time synchronization and drifting physical clocks.

Key Features
  • Simulation of RTOS scheduling and heterogeneous SoC hardware
  • Simulation of queued communication and event chains
  • Simulation of LIN, CAN, FlexRay, and Ethernet networks
  • Simulation of corner cases
  • Specification of complex stimulation scenarios
  • Importer for OSEK, CAN DBC, Fibex, AUTOSAR, and APP4MC AMALTHEA models
  • Model generation and workflow automation (EMF Ecore, Python, CI / Batch, REST API)
  • Supports the FMI standard for co-simulation

chronVAL

Worst-Case Timing Analysis

chronVAL allows you to analyze the real-time capability of safety-critical embedded systems using formal verification methods. Using an integrated software and hardware model, chronVAL calculates best and worst-case response times, preemption times, end-to-end latencies, and resource utilization.

Sensitivity analysis detects timing bottlenecks and sporadic violations, reducing the overhead of time-consuming implementations, integrations, and testing. Thus, for engineers and architects, chronVAL is a critical tool for assessing and optimizing design robustness and scalability.

Key Features
  • Schedulability analysis
  • Analysis of best- and worst-case timing behavior
  • End-to-end analysis of event chains
  • Virtual integration of distributed multicore systems
  • Analysis of communication latencies
  • Analysis of time synchronization and drifting clock effects
  • Calculation of available and remaining capacities in time intervals
  • Sensitivity analysis
  • Verification of timing and performance requirements

chronVIEW

Trace Visualization, Analysis, and Test

chronVIEW offers a highly scalable solution for the visualization and statistical analysis of large hardware traces. It supports the import of data generated by instrumented code, debuggers, tracing tools, and proprietary solutions.

chronVIEW enables integration and test engineers to view and analyze recorded data from many different perspectives. Its automated verification of requirements, in combination with interactive diagrams, contributes to a better understanding of the overall system behavior and the root causes of real-time errors.

Key Features
  • Visualization and interactive exploration of recorded trace data
  • Statistical analysis of timing and performance metrics
  • Definition and automated verification of requirements
  • Support of common tracing standards
  • Import assistant for proprietary trace formats
  • Generation of result reports
  • Workflow automation (Python, Batch / CLI, REST API)

Why INCHRON?

  • Easy integration with your existing workflows.
  • Scalable across multiple architecture levels (vehicle, ECU, software).
  • Used by major OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers in over 190 global projects.

Services & Support

  • Free strategy consultations
  • Evaluation licenses
  • Video and live training
  • Expert project support

Start Anywhere: Even with limited data, INCHRON provides tools and methods to help you begin optimizing today.