Today’s challenges of industrial development
In today’s world, customers expect continuous innovation, not necessarily through new hardware, but through software updates that add new features to existing products. Despite this, companies often introduce new hardware because the software is developed inefficiently and no longer fits the existing hardware. This leads to a significant waste of resources and products that appear outdated simply because the software requirements exceed the hardware capacity. Although software innovations are the central feature of new products, the optimization of the software itself often falls short of the possibilities.
Moore’s Law, which states that the performance of hardware doubles approximately every two years, has long served as an excuse as to why software is not dependent on resource optimization. With each new generation of hardware, it was expected to compensate for the growing demands of the software. However, this approach is neither sustainable nor efficient and forces companies to constantly introduce new hardware instead of optimizing the existing one.
TwinSpace: A paradigm shift in software development
The TwinSpace approach challenges precisely this system by focusing on end-to-end optimization of the software, which begins in the early phase of development and continues throughout the entire cycle. With the help of the developed Load Profile Description Language (LPDL), non-functional properties of the software, such as memory utilization, runtime, processor load and power consumption, can be precisely understood and optimized at every stage of development. This allows software that runs more efficiently on existing hardware platforms to be developed instead of making them obsolete prematurely.
The LPDL is a textual description language that captures the real load profiles of software components and thus enables precise mapping of load behavior. These profiles can either be taken from existing projects or created based on new requirements. By continuously considering and optimizing the non-functional properties of software development, TwinSpace can ensure that problems that would otherwise only be detected at the end of the classic waterfall process are identified and rectified at an early stage. This leads to a significant minimization of project risks, savings in development time and more sustainable product development.
Continuous optimization of non-functional properties as the key to success
In contrast to the rigid processes of the waterfall or V-model, in which non-functional properties are only optimized in the integration phase, TwinSpace enables continuous optimization of non-functional properties throughout the entire development process. This not only significantly reduces the costs of late changes, but also shortens the overall development time, as many potential problems can be resolved at an early stage.
A key aspect of the TwinSpace approach is the ability to keep existing hardware on the market for longer by using more efficient software to keep it constantly competitive and updateable. This benefits not only customers, who benefit from their investments for longer but also companies, which can tap into additional sources of revenue by introducing new business models. Software updates could be offered not only as a technical necessity but also as a value-adding feature that motivates customers to continue investing in their existing hardware.
Moving from reactive to proactive optimization
Today, in most companies, software optimization only takes place when the software developed exceeds the predefined budget limits or when it becomes apparent that the software does not fit the existing hardware. This reactive approach means that resources are used inefficiently and only optimized when it is practically too late. The TwinSpace approach, on the other hand, pursues a proactive strategy that focuses on continuous optimization, so that it is already clear in the early phases of the development process whether the software is using the available resources efficiently.
With TwinSpace, the operating behavior of the software is continuously monitored and adapted, avoiding costly adjustments at the end of the development process. This not only reduces costs but also ensures that software is developed more efficiently and sustainably.
Sustainability and long-term competitiveness
The sustainability of industrial products is the focus of the TwinSpace approach. By supporting their products for longer through software optimizations, companies reduce electronic waste and significantly extend the service life of the hardware. Customers benefit from a better price-performance ratio, as they can use their existing devices for longer and continue to receive new functions and features through updates.
Beyond that, TwinSpace makes companies more competitive. They can react faster and more efficiently to market requirements and stand out from the competition thanks to optimized software. The combination of efficiency and sustainability makes TwinSpace a forward-looking solution that can drive change in the industry.
Conclusion: TwinSpace as the cornerstone of efficient software development
TwinSpace, supported by the LPDL, represents a profound change in the way software is developed for industrial products. By continuously optimizing non-functional properties such as runtime and memory consumption, software can run longer on existing hardware, extending product life and minimizing resource consumption.
By making their software more efficient and focusing on sustainable development, companies can not only reduce their costs but also open new business models based on computing resources that are renewable through optimization and strengthen the competitiveness of embedded systems. TwinSpace offers the opportunity to make software development more flexible, efficient and sustainable in the long term – a critical step towards a future-proof industry.