UML and SysML tackle safety critical design

I-Logix and Esterel Technologies are to offer an integrated model-driven development environment for DO-178B and IEC61508 certified safety-critical embedded software applications.

I-Logix, the leading worldwide provider of model-driven development (MDD) solutions for systems design through software development and Esterel Technologies, the leading worldwide provider of MDD solutions for software development of safety-critical systems, announced today their partnership to offer a unique integrated MDD environment for developing DO-178B and IEC61508 certified safety-critical embedded software applications, featuring a seamless workflow between I-Logix' Rhapsody and Esterel Technologies' Scade products.

Rhapsody, the fastest growing MDD environment, is based on the Unified Modeling Language 2.0 (UML) standard and the latest version of the Systems Modeling Language (SysML) draft standard for specifying, documenting and validating systems designs.

Scade provides a full set of MDD tools from formal graphical design capture and simulation down to embedded C code generation for safety critical production use.

Scade is the only MDD solution that provides DO-178B qualified C code generation up to level A and certified IEC61508 C code generation for all SIL levels.

The integration of Rhapsody and Scade offers a unique seamless MDD solution combining a standard UML/SysML design environment with a qualified C code generator that meets the DO-178B and IEC61508 international safety standards.

Currently, the software qualification process required by the DO-178B and IEC61508 standards implies a tremendous manpower and time investment that makes the verification activities of C code a very costly proposition, typically over 50% of the total development cost.

I-Logix and Esterel Technologies estimate, based on their respective actual customer feedback, that developers using the integrated solution will be able to cut the time typically required to qualify code in half.

This is achieved through the use of qualified C code generators that eliminate the need for low-level C code verification activities.

The integrated Rhapsody and Scade solution is targeted at any application requiring software certification, typically found in the aerospace (commercial and military) and transportation industries.

The new MDD solution uniquely supports multiple development scenarios including pure safety-critical systems, and hybrid systems containing a mixture of safety-critical and non-safety-critical applications.

The integrated solution will be delivered in phases throughout 2006 with the initial phase available in Q2 2006.

I-Logix and Esterel Technologies will co-operate on the promotion and sales of the integrated solution.

"Our partnership with Esterel Technologies redefines how safety-critical systems will be developed and certified", said Neeraj Chandra, I-Logix Senior Vice President Marketing and Corporate Development.

"Now customers will be able to get their safety critical products to market in a fraction of the time taken today using manual methods".

"Our partnership with I-Logix helps solve the problems of time and expense associated with safety-critical software development, bridging the gap between systems and software engineering to enable a seamless workflow", said Gerard Morin, Esterel's Vice President of Product Marketing.

"Being able to automate the import of the systems and software architecture and use cases from Rhapsody directly into Scade's software development and qualified code generation environment improves communication between system and software teams, providing tremendous time savings during design, implementation and code qualification".

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