1 - How do you classify this thesis (1 - Weak, 2 - Avarage, 3 - Above avarage, 4 - Exellent)? 3

2 - What is your overall expertise concerning the subject areas of this thesis? 1

1 - I am an expert
2 - I am knowledgeable in the area, though not an expert
3 - I am not an expert. My evaluation is that of an informed outsider

3 - Technical strength (1 - Weak, 2 - Avarage, 3 - Above avarage, 4 -
Exellent) 2

4 - Presentation. Is the thesis well written? (1 - Weak, 2 - Avarage, 3
- Above avarage, 4 - Exellent) 4

5 - Summary of the thesis (Short summary of the thesis)

The thesis presents the implementation of a simualtor for embedded systems described as conditional process graphs (CPG). The implementation (in C++) compile from CPG (described with XML) to SystemC. The student also describe extensive experimental results.

6 - Points in favour and against (also sent to the authors)

In favour of this thesis is the well-written description of the research area, modelling language, carried out work, and descritpion results, etc. Against is the fact that the result of the thesis is limited to an implementation and that it seems that the compilation to SystemC for a given CPG is rather straight forward.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 - How do you classify this thesis (1 – Weak, 2 – Avarage, 3 – Above avarage, 4 - Exellent)?

--> Mellan 3 och 4

2 – Technical strength (1 – Weak, 2 – Avarage, 3 – Above avarage, 4 -
Exellent)

--> 3

3 – Presentation. Is the thesis well written? (1 – Weak, 2 – Avarage, 3 – Above avarage, 4 - Exellent)

--> 4 - Good language! Excellently written for an MSc.


4 - Summary of the thesis (Short summary of the thesis)

Targets the simulation of distributed real-time systems with an emphasis on timing behavior. The simulator uses a graph representation, which captures both data- and control-flow, to model the application. The graph representation also contains functionality in the nodes that the simulator executes while running. The scheduling of processes and communication in the simulator happens according to a non pre-emptive static cyclic scheduling algorithm. The systemC modelling approach is used. A case study has been carried out.

5 - Points in favour and against (also sent to the authors)

+ Well written and structured
+ Comprehensive for an MSc; including design and implementation Appears 
+ to be a good piece of work - and carried out by one person
- Somewhat brief and narrow in the context description and motivation
    * Narrow view on real-time:
"For example, the drive-bywire system in a car is a hard real-time system, meaning that if a deadline of a process is missed then the embedded system has failed and there can be disastrous consequences."
    * Context:
    Simulation vs. analysis – not touched upon
    Somewhat weak state of the art. Some simulators are mentioned but very much has been done in this area. So motivation for another simulator
        might have been appropriate.
    * Control dominated - is stated and included in the title but the use of this and elaboration in the thesis is very brief
    * The discussion on extensibility could be extended (only applied to non preemptive scheduling)?
    * The case  study and example is not explained in detail - what is actually simulated - only the timing behavior?
    * Is there an environment model? What does the algorithms look like or is only timing evaluated?
- The introduction says more than the abstract, i.e. the latter can be improved.

---------------------