Control Software Engineering Approaches for Cyber-Physical Systems: A Systematic Mapping Study

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and automotive systems are integral to modern technology. They are characterized by their safety criticality, accuracy, and real-time control requirements. Control software plays a crucial role in achieving these objectives by managing and coordinating the operations of various sub-systems. This article presents a novel Systematic Mapping Study (SMS) for control software engineering, analyzing 115 peer-reviewed papers. The study identifies, classifies, and maps existing solutions, providing a comprehensive and structured overview for practitioners and researchers. Our contributions include (1) a unique classification of literature into six research themes—engineering phases, engineering approaches, engineering paradigms, engineering artifacts, target application domains, and engineering concerns; (2) insights into the specificity of approaches to target technologies and phases; (3) the prominence of model-driven approaches for design and testing; (4) the lack of end-to-end engineering support in existing approaches; and (5) the emerging role of agile-based methods versus the dominance of waterfall-based methods. This article's significance lies in its thorough analysis and the high-level mapping of the solution space, offering new perspectives and a detailed roadmap for future research and innovation in control software engineering. The findings will guide advancements and best practices in the field, underscoring the article's impact.