Modular Tool Architecture for Worst-Case Execution Time Analysis Book

Estimations of the Worst-Case Execution Time (WCET) are required in providing guarantees for timing of programs used in computer controlled products and other real-time computer systems. To derive program WCET estimates, both the properties of the software and the hardware must be considered. The traditional method to obtain WCET estimates is to test the system and measure the execution time. This is labor-intensive and error-prone work, which unfortunately cannot guarantee that the worst case is actually found. Static WCET analyses, on the other hand, are capable of generating safe WCET estimates without actually running the program. Such analyses use models of program flow and hardware timing to generate WCET estimates.