MISRA C and the LDRA Tool Suite Selected to Ensure Safety in Power Wheelchair Head Control

LDRA, the leader in standards compliance, automated software verification, software code analysis, and test tools, today announced that NOW Technologies has chosen the LDRA tool suite to perform static analysis of software code in its multi-purpose Gyroset Glory headset that enables gesture-based motion control to drive wheelchairs for injured and disabled users.

Because one of the functions of the Gyroset Glory headset from NOW Technologies is wheelchair control, it has been developed in accordance with the IEC 62304 medical device software lifecycle processes. To achieve software code consistency mandated by IEC 62304 and to help ensure functional safety and security in the device, NOW Technologies chose to comply with the MISRA C:2012 software development guidelines.

NOW Technologies, based in Budapest, Hungary, chose LDRArules to automate compliance of its headset controller software with the MISRA C:2012 coding standard. LDRArules provides clear visibility into software flaws and violations of source code that otherwise pass through the build and test process and lead to costly rework and project delays. The compliance with coding standards like MISRA C:2012 is crucial in medical devices and, as a member of the MISRA C committee, LDRA is well placed to help customers meet the coding standards and safety requirements of medical device software.

"The connected nature of the Gyroset controller inevitably made safety and security of software code a critical requirement," said Mark Istvan, Managing Director of NOW Technologies. "LDRArules' SGS-TÜV SAAR certification made the qualification of the safety-critical headset controller far less tedious and has been invaluable to us in providing evidence of our adherence to the IEC 62304 standard. I would estimate that we have saved at least ?200K by using the tool, which represents a very speedy return on investment for us."

LDRArules is a stand-alone rules checker that enables embedded designers to adhere to industry-specific and user-defined coding standards and quickly identify potential faults and security vulnerabilities. Developers of safety-critical devices can use the tool to:

• Drill down into violations in specific coding standards and view a filtered summary report comprising flow graphs and easy-to-read code review reports
• Quickly identify code quality, fault detection, and avoidance measures with intuitive reporting mechanisms
• Enhance collaboration and communication among team members by providing code analysis information in an easy-to-use graphical user interface
• Quickly identify and repair coding flaws so as to reduce overall development costs

"Many safety-critical standards, whether for medical, automotive, or industrial controls, require code analysis in addition to process compliance to ensure no programming errors inadvertently cause failures in how the software functions," said Ian Hennell, Operations Director, LDRA."It is inspiring to hear how NOW Technologies has used LDRArules to confirm MISRA C compliance for its connected headset. Not only do users of the headset gain far more freedom, but the design team can streamline the debug process, saving cost and reducing risk."

Additional information about how LDRA helps software development teams build safety into their medical devices is available at https://ldra.com/medical/.

About LDRA

For more than 40 years, LDRA has developed and driven the market for software that automates code analysis and software testing for safety-, mission-, security-, and business-critical markets. Working with clients to achieve early error identification and full compliance with industry standards, LDRA traces requirements through static and dynamic analysis to unit testing and verification for a wide variety of hardware and software platforms. Boasting a worldwide presence, LDRA is headquartered in the United Kingdom with subsidiaries in the United States, Germany, and India coupled with an extensive distributor network. For more information on the LDRA tool suite, please visit www.ldra.com.