Our Research

When electronic systems are started with the mere press of a button, a huge amount of data is being processed in the background: programs are running, signals are being sent across the wires. A variety of hard- and software components are involved, following a design prescribing how the system will work.

With the growing complexity of systems the requirements are increasing as well. According to a study by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), more than 90 percent of microprocessors are embedded. The more complex these systems are, and the more these systems are connected through networks to other systems, the possibility of new and unforeseen interactions between them arises. To guarantee safety, robustness and dependability, new automatic and intelligent test and design methods for quality assurance have to be developed. This is particularly relevant in safety-critical application areas.

Scientists at the research department Cyber-Physical Systems are developing such methods, which are based on mathematical proof methods (so-called formal methods), and which identify safety and security faults as early as possible in the system design process. Furthermore, together with other scientific and academic institutes, and on behalf of industrial partners, they develop new methodologies of quality assurance for the design process of complex electronic chips and systems. New approaches to optimize efficiency are in focus, for example with regard to resource consumption or speed, as well as developing innovative solutions for specific applications.