LEMABE: a novel framework to improve analogy-based software cost estimation using learnable evolution model

One of the most important and critical factors in software projects is the proper cost estimation. This activity, which has to be done prior to the beginning of a project in the initial stage, always encounters several challenges and problems. However, due to the high significance and impact of the proper cost estimation, several approaches and methods have been proposed regarding how to perform cost estimation, in which the analogy-based approach is one of the most popular ones. In recent years, many attempts have been made to employ suitable techniques and methods in this approach in order to improve estimation accuracy. However, achieving improved estimation accuracy in these techniques is still an appropriate research topic. To improve software development cost estimation, the current study has investigated the effect of the LEM algorithm on optimization of features weighting and proposed a new method as well. In this research, the effectiveness of this algorithm has been examined on two datasets, Desharnais and Maxwell. Then, MMRE, PRED (0.25), and MdMRE criteria have been used to evaluate and compare the proposed method against other evolutionary algorithms. Employing the proposed method showed considerable improvement in estimating software cost estimation.

TDCA: Improved Optimization Algorithm with Degree Distribution and Communication Traffic for the Deployment of Software Components Base on AUTOSAR Architecture

AUTOSAR (Automotive Open System Architecture), as an open, standardized framework for automotive electronic software development, has gradually become the standard followed by major automotive manufacturers and automotive electronic device suppliers. The electronic software system problem improves the development efficiency and portability of the system by reducing the development cost of automotive electronic software while ensuring the quality of products and services, which is beneficial for subsequent upgrades and updates of the system. In order to improve the reliability of the software component deployment algorithm based on AUTOSAR architecture, we proposed the TDCA algorithm. During the execution of the algorithm, communication volume and communication degree are introduced to improve the accuracy of the deployment plan by optimizing the bus load and ECU balancing. Algorithm comparison experiments show that comparing heuristic and linear optimization algorithms, the TDCA algorithm proposed in this paper has significant advantages in reducing bus load and balancing ECU utilization. The algorithm can reduce the communication between cores and balance ECU load according to the constraints of AUTOSAR architecture.

Finances of the Nation: The Evolution of Health Expenditures in Canada, 1926-2019

In this article, Livio Di Matteo provides an overview of expenditures on health care in Canada over the long term. He examines changes in the size, relative importance, growth, and composition of health expenditures, with an additional focus on provincial-territorial government spending since the 1970s. Di Matteo links the evolution of health-care spending to factors affecting the demand for and supply of health services, including income, demographic changes, technological development, cost, policy, and public finances.

CPS-SPWM Implementation Based on Multi - Controller Collaboration

In order to improve the modularization degree of cascaded H-bridge converter and reduce the development cost, a modularized carrier phase shifted sine pulse width modulation (CPS-SPWM) based on multi-controller is proposed in this paper, which can easily increase or decrease the number of submodules in cascaded H-bridge. In order to solve the problem of coordination in multi-controller structure, a two-stage control structure is proposed, which uses the master controller to carry out closed-loop control for multiple slave controllers, and uses the approximate natural sampling method to realize digital CPS-SPWM modulation, which reduces computation and makes full use of controller resources. The experimental result shows that the stepped voltage waveform output by the proposed method at the AC side is of high quality and H bridge submodule is easy to be increased and decreased.

Comparative Study on the Attributes Analysis of Software Development Cost Model Based on Exponential-type Lifetime Distribution

In this paper, the development cost attributes were newly analyzed by applying the Exponential–type lifetime distributions (Burr-Hatke-exponential, ExponentialBasic, Exponential-exponential, Inverse-exponential) widely utilized in the field of software lifetime testing and quality evaluation to the software development cost model. Also, to verify the attributes of the analyzed development cost, after analyzing the future reliability, the optimal cost model was presented. For this study, an analysis algorithm using software failure time data was proposed to solve the research solution, the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) was applied to solve the parameter values, and the nonlinear equation was calculated using the binary method. Simulations show that if the cost of removing one flaw found during the test phase increases, the development cost increases, but the release time does not change. However, if the cost of flaws correction discovered by operators increased, both development costs and release times increased. Therefore, we must remove all possible flaws at the testing stage to eliminate failures. In conclusion, First, the Exponential-exponential distribution model showed the best performance among the proposed models because it had the lowest software development cost and the highest future reliability. Second, the software development cost attributes of the Exponential-type lifetime distributions were newly analyzed. Third, through this data, it was able to help software developers to analyze the most economical development cost

Methodological approach to spacecraft development cost calculation

The aim of this work is to develop a methodological approach to the development of a unified, common for all developers, computer-aided branch procedure for spacecraft development cost estimation based on a spacecraft cost model and practical recommendations on computer-aided branch procedure development. The cost parameters of the development, manufacturing, and operation of new spacecraft and their technical level (perfection) are the determining factors in competitiveness assessment. To decide on the advisability of starting or resuming the development of a new spacecraft, one has to correctly estimate the development cost. Using the standardized calculation method in estimating the development cost for new space hardware is unacceptable for lack of bug-free design and production documentation, which is the end product of any development activity. Parametric methods (the basic methods used to estimate the spacecraft development cost in the USA and Europe) cannot be used in the development of a high-quality procedure for spacecraft development cost estimation for lack of a branch statistical database on spacecraft development labor intensiveness and materials consumption at the State Space Agency of Ukraine. This calls for a nonstandard cost model of spacecraft development. The authors’ cost model is based on a method of componentwise analogy for simple spacecraft components, moving (up and down) along the edges of a weighted oriented tree graph that models the spacecraft technical structure, and fuzzy analysis methods. The tree graph Gi(V(С),D) models the spacecraft technical structure (V, C, and D are the sets of graph vertices and edges and spacecraft components, respectively; to each graph vertex there corresponds a spacecraft component). The paper presents a nonstandard cost model of spacecraft development, which in its essence is close to a nonlinear parametric cost model, and a scientific methodology for the development of an advanced branch procedure for spacecraft development cost calculation with component and stage detailing.

Parametric Schedulability Analysis of a Launcher Flight Control System under Reactivity Constraints*

The next generation of space systems will have to achieve more and more complex missions. In order to master the development cost and duration of such systems, an alternative to a manual design is to automatically synthesize the main parameters of the system. In this paper, we present an approach for the specific case of the scheduling of the flight control of a space launcher. The approach requires two successive steps: (1) the formalization of the problem to be solved in a parametric formal model and (2) the synthesis of the model parameters with a tool. We first describe the problem of the scheduling of a launcher flight control, then we show how this problem can be formalized with parametric stopwatch automata; we then present the results computed by the parametric timed model checker IMITATOR. We enhance our model by taking into consideration the time for switching context, and we compare the results to those obtained by other tools classically used in scheduling.

Improved control and monitor two different PLC using LabVIEW and NI-OPC server

<span>This paper proposes an improved control and monitors between two different PLCs, the Mitsubishi, and Omron. The main advantage is interoperability and communication between both PLC. The use of NI OPC server as the software interface reached interoperability and communication. There were developed two field applications to test interoperability. Laboratory virtual instrument engineering workbench (LabVIEW) uses as the software application for creating the user interface to control and monitor. This improvement show OPC server technology solves data compatibility issue between different driver controller’s and reducing development cost. Regardless of whether there are more than two different PLCs, it's enough to use the NI OPC server. So the benefit of the NI OPC server is not limited to two types of PLC used right now but can also use the other manufacturers. Besides, the improvement of the previous study is the use of the LabVIEW makes data from the OPC server displayed more realistic. The use of LabVIEW allows additional monitoring functions, one of which is LabVIEW vision. Data utilization becomes more flexible, and so it can use for more complex purposes. It is envisaged that this is very useful for Integrator engineer to implement this method in industrial automation</span>