Comparing model checking and logical reasoning for real-time systems

We apply both model checking and logical reasoning to a real-time protocol for mutual exclusion. To this end we employ PLC-Automata, an abstract notion of programs for real-time systems. A logic-based semantics in terms of Duration Calculus is used to verify the correctness of the protocol by logical reasoning. An alternative but consistent operational semantics in terms of Timed Automata is used to verify the correctness by model checkers. Since model checking of the full model does not terminate in all cases within an acceptable time we examine abstractions and their influence on model-checking performance. We present two abstraction methods that can be applied successfully for the protocol presented.Received June 1999Accepted in revised form September 2003 by M.R. Hansen and C. B. Jones