Ian G. Clark

Data communication in systems with heterogeneous timing

Asynchronous communication mechanisms permit the implementation of data interfaces between heterogeneously timed entities at various hardware levels. A systematic approach to ACM classification, specification, and implementation facilitates their use in heterogeneously timed networks.

Algorithms for signal and message asynchronous communication mechanisms and their analysis

This paper presents new algorithms for the Signal and Message asynchronous data communication mechanisms (ACMs) and their modelling and analysis using Petri net techniques.

Complementing Role Models with Petri Nets in Studying Asynchronous Data Communications

Simpson’s role model method [7, 8] was designed for the analysis of synchronisation-free data communication mechanisms employing shared memory and has been shown to be especially useful for the representation and analyses of data freshness properties. Previously published analyses using the role model method have employed proprietary state space search techniques developed by Simpson. Here a formal definition of role models is given and a way of representing role models using Petri nets is presented. Potential advantages of analysing systems using the role model method complemented with Petri net techniques are demonstrated with a case study of data freshness properties of a data communication algorithm.

Buffered asynchronous communication mechanisms

Previous work on asynchronous communication mechanisms (ACMs) has not dealt with buffered forms (n > l). This paper describes a systematic design/synthesis process for ACMs with arbitrary buffer size, a series of resulting buffered ACM algorithms, and the modelling and simulation of these ACMs using Matlab, putting ACMs (esp. buffered ones) in the context of complex engineering systems.