Optalert

Why Optalert Needs Safe, Compliant Code

Optalert’s Drowsiness Detection SDK (software development kit) is written in C and requires certification for its more than 20,000 lines of code that support its two main development platforms, Windows and Linux. This integrated layer of in-vehicle software and algorithms provides manufacturers with the very latest drowsiness detection functionality for integration with a Driver Monitoring System (DMS). 

When applied to a DMS, the Drowsiness Detection SDK is the most advanced system for detecting drowsiness in its earliest stages. A key objective and major challenge for this new project was to ensure that the product was MISRA compliant, so car manufacturers and automotive technology providers could purchase it with confidence. However, MISRA compliance can be an exceptionally complicated and comprehensive process.

To meet their objectives and overcome their challenges, Optalert needed a tool that:

• Enforced and verified compliance with industry coding standards, including MISRA and CERT.
• Identified defects, vulnerabilities, and compliance issues early in development.

Optalert felt that a static code analysis tool was the ideal solution for their needs. For this reason, they purchased Helix QAC to assist with identifying and resolving MISRA compliance requirements.  

Why Optalert Chose Helix QAC

Optalert’s decision to choose Helix QAC was based upon several distinguishing factors, including:

• Helix QAC is the leading static code analysis tool for MISRA compliance within the automotive industry.
• Helix QAC is independently certified for use in the development of safety-critical software.
• Helix QAC provides fully documented rule enforcement and message interpretation.
• Helix QAC produces compliance reports for functional safety audits.
• Helix QAC provides users with fully configurable rule processing.

How Helix QAC Helped Optalert 

With Helix QAC’s ability to apply filters, suppressions, and baselines, Optalert was able to effectively prioritize issues based on the severity of risk. By delivering accurate diagnostics and actionable results, Optalert was able to quickly identify more than 300 key issues in their primary codebase and resolve the most important issues first. 

In addition, they were also able to analyze their wider codebase and identify over 1,700 potential vulnerabilities. The majority of which, the team was able to solve within a few weeks.  

However, most importantly, Optalert has been able to enforce and verify MISRA compliance across multiple platforms. Because of this, the development team is confident that they are able to remedy identified vulnerabilities and generate compliance reports quickly. This has enabled Optalert to become a viable and serious player in the automotive technology market.  

How Optalert Has Benefitted From Helix QAC

Helix QAC made it easy to accelerate compliance in an incremental manner. In addition, by using Helix QAC, Optalert was able to: 

• Analyze massive C codebases quickly and accurately.
• Remediate MISRA compliance issues.
• Provide details and filtered compliance reports for prioritization and agility.
• Ensure that on-going development of software was not disrupted.
• Run scans from both their developer environments (IDEs) and through CLI without disruption to the flow of existing processes.
• Re-use the compliance across both Windows and Linux development platforms for native and multiple embedded targets.  

In addition, Optalert plans to use Helix QAC to increase automotive compliance by adding additional safety standard compliances — such as CERT C — to ensure that its product sets the benchmark for drowsiness detection technology.  

Improve Your Automotive Software with Helix QAC

See how Helix QAC can help your automotive software development team produce compliant, safe, and reliable software. Sign up for a free trial today. 

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