Software release meets data analysis mandate

The intent of coupling analysis is to prove that the control and data flow between architectural components in the implementation match what was intended by the design, and to prove that these flows have been tested.

DO-178B requires applicants to identify couples in the design and to verify that only those couples exist in the implementation. DO-178C additionally requires applicants to verify that the couples have been exercised during requirements-based functional testing.

These reports are extremely time-consuming to generate. VectorCAST/Coupling automates the process, providing greater efficiency and faster time to market benefits and generates the Couples Report and Coupling Coverage Report required according to the DO-178C specification.

Developed jointly with a global leader in aerospace and defense, VectorCAST/Coupling supports the requirements of DO-178B/C using a combination of static analysis to identify the couples in a code base and run-time verification of the couples during application execution.

VectorCAST/Coupling is used in conjunction with an existing VectorCAST/QA or VectorCAST/Cover project.

“Historically, development organisations in regulated industries such as avionics, automotive, medical, railway, and industrial controls have performed manual analysis of small portions of their code base to ensure that every invocation of a function has been exercised and that every access to the data has been covered,” said Jeffrey Fortin, head of product management at Vector Software. “VectorCAST/Coupling provides developers with automated solutions for data coupling and control coupling analysis for DO-178.”

VectorCAST/Coupling is offered as an add-on in the latest release of the VectorCAST test automation platform.