Secure Your Embedded Code with MISRA

Dear DE Reader:

With embedded code in everything, software reliability and security for critical systems have become vital engineering, corporate and national issues. Adherence to software development standards can help you develop safer and more secure code. But how much do you know about the weaknesses of the language you use and the coding standards that can help secure your code? Today’s Check it Out offers a pair of documents of timely interest to anyone involved in embedded code development.

The MISRA (Motor Industry Software Reliability Association) C language standards grew out of the automotive embedded code rooms to become what many experts consider the premier set of best practices for C code development for industries as diverse as aerospace, defense and energy systems, medical devices, transportation and electronics. Programming Research Ltd. (PRQA) knows MISRA standards cold, having been at the forefront of software code governance for more than 20 years. The two white papers from PRQA today offer you solid details that can help you ensure that your embedded code development efforts rest on a firm foundation.

The first paper, “MISRA: An Overview,” is for those who are aware that without standards enforcement hiring more C programmers is a faint start to securing your code. It explains what MISRA is, how it came about, why it’s important for you and how to begin implementing MISRA C standards in your processes. This seven-page paper explains some of the weaknesses that make C less than ideal for critical code, how you can avoid those weaknesses, and develop reliable code using a subset of the language that enforces coding rules designed to avert C’s weaknesses. It also covers MISRA’s effect on legacy code and the use of static analysis tools in standards enforcement and verification.

“MISRA C:2012,” the second paper, is a primer tuned to those upgrading or considering upgrading from an earlier MISRA-based development environment to the 2012 iteration. As such, it addresses basic questions considering legacy code compliance, whether adopting MISRA C:2012 is worth the fuss, what’s new and how MISRA C:2012 compliance could impact development processes and supplier relationships.

PRQA earns kudos with these papers. They’re all business. They’re must-reads for people new to all this or wanting the most from their embedded code development. If you’re immersed in MISRA already, you’ll find them highly informative and engaging. Hit today’s Check it Out link for your complimentary copies.

Thanks, Pal. – Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, DE