MSC Diagram MSC Language Condition Automatic Translation Petri Net
Issue Date:
2003
Publisher:
Institute of Information Theories and Applications FOI ITHEA
Abstract:
Development-engineers use in their work languages intended for software or hardware systems
design, and test engineers utilize languages effective in verification, analysis of the systems properties and
testing. Automatic interfaces between languages of these kinds are necessary in order to avoid ambiguous
understanding of specification of models of the systems and inconsistencies in the initial requirements for the
systems development.
Algorithm of automatic translation of MSC (Message Sequence Chart) diagrams compliant with MSC’2000
standard into Petri Nets is suggested in this paper. Each input MSC diagram is translated into Petri Net (PN),
obtained PNs are sequentially composed in order to synthesize a whole system in one final combined PN.
The principle of such composition is defined through the basic element of MSC language — conditions. While
translating reference table is developed for maintenance of consistent coordination between the input
system’s descriptions in MSC language and in PN format. This table is necessary to present the results of
analysis and verification on PN in suitable for the development-engineer format of MSC diagrams. The proof
of algorithm correctness is based on the use of process algebra ACP. The most significant feature of the
given algorithm is the way of handling of conditions. The direction for future work is the development of
integral, partially or completely automated technological process, which will allow designing system, testing
and verifying its various properties in the one frame.