Formal Verification of µ-Charts

This paper describes an experiment in the formalverification of µ-charts, a Statechart-like language withinstantaneous communication. Properties of µ-charts areverified using a theory of chart refinement. By modellingµ-charts in the language of CSP, used here as a semanticmetalanguage, chart refinement is reduced to CSP tracerefinement, which allows verification to be executedautomatically using the model-checker FDR. A detailedverification of a motor vehicle central locking system isused to illustrate this approach. Results so far are promising,with the augmentation of a Statechart-like languagewith a refinement theory offering a more integrated methodof reactive system design.