RapiCoupling is an innovative software verification tool developed by Rapita Systems to support data coupling and control coupling (DCCC) analysis for software developed under stringent safety standards like DO-178C (avionics) and ISO 26262 (automotive). The tool, along with its supporting guidance, aims to bring a significant advancement to DCCC analysis by providing highly configurable analyses that yield meaningful and certifiable results. Its development incorporates input from industrial partners, ensuring it meets real-world project needs, with early results presented at DASC 2024. The tool's workflow involves four key steps: first, defining the software architecture by identifying components and interfaces, with fast automated extraction available; second, creating couplings (coverage and other DCCC goals) which can be generated automatically from code or added manually/programmatically, allowing for flexible definition of observable properties; third, running tests with RapiCoupling's instrumentation applied to the code to collect results; and finally, analyzing and exporting results through summary and detailed report views to identify missing couplings and provide certification evidence. RapiCoupling addresses the complexity of modern critical software through advanced instrumentation that supports the definition of couplings as arbitrary sequences of events in the code, enabling the observation of diverse property types. Its sophisticated static analysis avoids generating goals that cannot be observed in practice, thereby reducing significant manual effort. The tool is designed to support engineering processes rather than dictating them, offering high configurability to implement and optimize DCCC strategies tailored to current and future project needs. Furthermore, RapiCoupling comes with extensive guidance, based on collaborative research with customers and experiences from V&V services, helping users improve high-level testing quality and produce the necessary evidence to effectively meet DCCC objectives.

Features & Benefits

• Comprehensive DCCC Analysis & Reporting
  • Reports on data and control couplings exercised during high-level testing. Automatically generates coverage goals for common DCCC types, with a flexible framework for defining additional goals. Verifies expectations on code interfaces by ensuring significant behaviors have been confirmed during testing.
• Advanced Instrumentation & Static Analysis
  • Supports the definition of couplings as arbitrary sequences of events in the code, allowing observation of diverse property types. Employs advanced static analysis to avoid generating goals that cannot be observed in practice, significantly reducing manual effort.
• Flexible & Configurable Workflow
  • Enables users to implement and optimize DCCC strategies tailored to their specific project needs. Comes with extensive guidance based on collaborative research and experience with V&V services, aiding in improving testing quality and evidence production.
• Streamlined DCCC Analysis Process
  • Facilitates an efficient approach to DCCC analysis.
  • Define software architecture by identifying components and interfaces.
  • Define couplings (coverage and other DCCC goals) automatically or manually.
  • Run tests with instrumented code to collect results.
  • Analyze and export results for certification evidence.