Graphic LOTOS Specification of an EN50254 System

This paper reports on our experience in using a graphical tool for protocol specification based on the GLOTOS language, the graphical extension of ISO LOTOS, and presents as a case study the development of a formal description of an EN50254 (lNTERBUS) factory communication system. The tool is an MS Windows application, thus running on commonly available PC platforms, which lets the user edit a G-LOTOS specification performing on-line checks of syntactic and static semantics rules, generate a corresponding textual LOTOS specification, and invoke an integrated syntax and static semantics analyser. Experience with the tool has shown its usefulness in making industrial protocol specification, editing and understanding an easier task.