  This article presents a new approach to the real-time solution of inverse
problems on embedded systems. The class of problems addressed corresponds to
ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with generalized linear constraints,
whereby the data from an array of sensors forms the forcing function. The
solution of the equation is formulated as a least squares (LS) problem with
linear constraints. The LS approach makes the method suitable for the explicit
solution of inverse problems where the forcing function is perturbed by noise.
The algebraic computation is partitioned into a initial preparatory step, which
precomputes the matrices required for the run-time computation; and the cyclic
run-time computation, which is repeated with each acquisition of sensor data.
The cyclic computation consists of a single matrix-vector multiplication, in
this manner computation complexity is known a-priori, fulfilling the definition
of a real-time computation. Numerical testing of the new method is presented on
perturbed as well as unperturbed problems; the results are compared with known
analytic solutions and solutions acquired from state-of-the-art implicit
solvers. The solution is implemented with model based design and uses only
fundamental linear algebra; consequently, this approach supports automatic code
generation for deployment on embedded systems. The targeting concept was tested
via software- and processor-in-the-loop verification on two systems with
different processor architectures. Finally, the method was tested on a
laboratory prototype with real measurement data for the monitoring of flexible
structures. The problem solved is: the real-time overconstrained reconstruction
of a curve from measured gradients. Such systems are commonly encountered in
the monitoring of structures and/or ground subsidence.
