We will present an update on an ongoing case study exploring a new approach to DC/CC analysis that was first presented at DASC 2024. The case study is a joint collaboration between Rapita Systems and Collins Aerospace that aims to provide the foundations for a new approach to addressing the DC/CC objective on future Collins Aerospace DO-178C projects.

The approach is based on a new tool, RapiCoupling, which is being developed by Rapita Systems to support data coupling and control coupling analysis for different types of software-software interface, and the generation of quantifiable metrics to represent the completeness of testing. The vision for the tool is novel in that it represents interface properties (couplings) as multi instrumentation-point properties. The properties either specify coverage criteria that must be observed during test, or interface expectations (such as constraints on dataflow), for which violations are reported. Derivation of coupling criteria is provided by a mixture of static analysis of the code and directly by the user based on other artefacts such as the software architecture. The guided process by which coupling criteria are defined (i.e. the process model) provides an additional level of rigor on top of the formal metrics.

The presentation will provide a recap and update on how the work is progressing, as well as our plans for the future.

Paper authors: Antoine Colin, Rapita Systems Ltd., acolin@rapitasystems.com;

Andrew Galloway, Rapita Systems Ltd., agalloway@rapitasystems.com;

Phillip Hamm, Collins Aerospace, phillip.hamm@collins.com;

Chris Hubbs, Collins Aerospace, chris.hubbs@collins.com;

Daniel Wright, Rapita Systems Ltd., dwright@rapitasystems.com