Embedded Software Striving for excellence in development

Among the various types of software, Embedded Software is a class of its own: it ensures critical missions and if wrongly designed it can disturb the human organization, lead to large losses, injure or kill many people. Updates are difficult and rather expensive or even impossible. Designing Embedded Software needs to include quality in the development process, but economic competition requires designing less expensive products. This book addresses Embedded Software developers, Software Quality Engineers, Team Leaders, Project Managers, and R&D Managers. The book we will introduce Embedded Software, languages, tools and hardware. Then, we will discuss the challenges of Software Quality. Software Development life cycles will be presented with their advantages and disadvantages. Main standards and norms related to software and safety will be discussed. Next, we will detail the major development processes and propose a set of processes compliant with CMMI-DEV, SPICE, and SPICE- HIS. Agile methods as well as DO-178C and ISO 26262 will have specific focus when necessary. To finish, we will promote quality tools needed for capitalization and reaching software excellence.

Jérôme DERN is a graduate engineer from EFREI. He worked as a researcher in the military industry, as a developer in the field of Embedded Systems and as a Software Quality advisor for large industrial groups. He is now Head of Software Quality within the Valeo group where he participates, among other missions, in defining new software development methods. He is a Valeo group Total Quality trainer. Finally yet importantly, he teaches automotive software in EPITA and EISTI engineering schools.