comp.software-eng archive file "blurb/rdd-100" last changed 31 Jul 1993 This file contains information on the following subjects. Numbers in column 1 count distinct messages with the corresponding subject. 1 System level tools? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: randy@tigercat.den.mmc.com (Randy Stafford) Subject: Re: System level tools? Organization: Martin Marietta Astronautics Group Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1992 20:41:19 GMT In article , rjanes@fox.nstn.ns.ca (Robert Janes) writes: |> I am looking for a systems level tool to aid in developing a realtime |> embedded system. I have information on Ascent Logic's Requirements Driven |> Developer (RDD) tool. Does anyone have experience using this tool they |> could share? Are there other systems level tools available? We are |> considering cadre/Teamwork for the software dept. They are using OOD and |> Ada. Can cadre/Teamwork be used for specifying the systems and hardware |> requirements as well as the software? |> |> Regards, |> |> Kathy |> Concurrent Engineering |> Project Leader email: rjanes@fox.nstn.ns.ca |> Micronav International Inc |> P.O.Box 1523 / 104 Marine Drive |> Sydport Industrial Park, |> Sydney, N.S. Canada B1P 6R7 |> Tel: 902-564-8833 Fax: 902-564-8764 -- We have installations of this tool (RDD-100) at my company and it appears to be very promising. I personally have not used it heavily in its intended role, but rather have had to study it as a database designer in order to interface it to an in-house tool. Other people on other projects that I am supporting are using it for system design, and my team has selected it to act as the repository for the results of an enterprise analysis. Major strengths: + richness of features (traceability mgmt., reporting, simulation, consistency checking) + user-extensible system description database schema + semi-automatic source spec scanning facility + semi-automatic system description database consistency checking / correcting facility + extremely flexible reporting facility + excellent graphical modelling (diagramming) capabilities + system simulator operates on (default) models/diagrams - very little extra effort required Major weaknesses: - price (~40K per seat) - no DBMS in product architecture - makes configuration mgmt. / change approval / external interfacing difficult. Also results in performance issues (e.g., entire database may be RAM-resident) - user interface could use some modernization - simulation paradigm differs from most other discrete-event simulation languages / systems Despite its weaknesses, I haven't seen anything on the market that can compete with RDD when one considers the totality of its features. There may be other tools which do one or two things only, and do them better than RDD, but then they are not integrated like RDD is. It seems particularly well-suited for your application (embedded system development). I have a report from the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) titled "Reviews of Selected System and Software Tools for Strategic Defense Applications (IDA Paper P-2177)", dated February 1990, that surveys 15 such tools. You may want to get a copy of it, even though it may be a bit dated by now. I don't know if an update is available. The paper is available from the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC, (202) 274-7633). Its DTIC reference number (I think) is AD-A226 982.