A real-time system must not only produce logically correct results, but it must also produce them with certain timing constraints. Such systems are gaining importance in a number of applications, for example, automated factories, telecommunication systems, defense systems, and space systems, and smart spaces. The Illinois Computing Laboratory of Aerospace Systems and Software is a group of research projects in areas of aerospace computing systems, software, and applications. As embedded systems are becoming smarter and inter-connected, they are moving away from fixed functionality and isolation. Connection leads to collaboration.
Collaboration demands flexibility and adaptation.
However, demands for intelligent behavior, personalization and collaboration are making software more complex. Software reliability will become the dominant factor in embedded system reliability. The root cause of software faults is complexity. The minimal essential services are often much simpler. Constrain the states of the physical systems under the control of complex software within an envelope of acceptable behaviors.