Call for papers: "Complex and Critical Embedded Systems Engineering"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Embedded Systems.

Embedded systems are becoming more and more complex every day. Designing such systems demands methods and tools that allow simulation and verification in an efficient and practical way. The usage of different modelling and simulation tools during a unique design flow to aid engineering is common in such complex task.

A common characteristic of embedded systems is heterogeneity. These systems run applications in hardware and software (signal processing, multimedia, analogical processing, control flow, operating system, communication, etc.) performing discrete computation steps. Thus, there is a great demand for methods and tools that allow – in a practical, reliable and efficient way – the design and simulation of such complex systems. In special cases, embedded systems are formed by a huge amount of devices requiring computational power and, consequently, higher complexity. It is not unusual to find different applications being executed by the same embedded system. Thus, it is mandotory to develop new methods, tools, hardware and software which take into account the deep integration with physical processes and real-time constraints, with low-power consumption, high performance and low cost.

In addition, critical embedded systems need to be dependable, safe, reliable, adaptable and reconfigurable. Adaptability is a key feature, as it allows the system its own configuration to bring more security, reliability and dependability. One special case of such systems is autonomous computing systems, which are systems able to self-manage features to provide adaptation and awareness. Modelling and simulation are counted among the research challenges bound to these systems.

The main focus of this special issue is to discuss and present the state of the art concerning practices and tools for the development of complex and critical embedded systems, with a focuson the new challanges, e.g. Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems.

The issue will carry revised and substantially extended versions of selected papers presented at the V Brazilian Symposium on Computer Systems Engineering (SBESC 2015), but we also strongly encourage researchers unable to participate in the conference to submit articles for this call.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Modelling, design and simulation of complex and critical systems
• Embedded systems in complex and critical systems
• Networks, protocols and communication related to complex and critical systems
• Distributed computing for support to complex and critical systems
• Adaptable and reconfigurable systems and architectures in complex and critical systems
• Fault tolerance in complex and critical systems
• Harvesting energy and power consuption techniques in complex and critical systems
• Applications: Internet of Things, cyber-physical systems, smart grids, smart cities, robotics, unmanned vehicles, etc.
• Autonomous computing systems in complex and critical systems

Important Dates
Submission deadline: 8 February, 2016
Reviews results due: 8 July, 2016
Final versions due: 8 August, 2016