VeTeSS · Verification and Testing to Support Functional Safety Standards

New safety standards, such as ISO 26262, present a challenge for companies producing safety-relevant embedded systems. Safety verification today is often ad-hoc and manual; it is done differently for digital and analogue, hardware and software.The VeTeSS project will develop standardized tools and methods for verification of the robustness of safety-relevant systems, particularly against transient common-cause faults. Bringing together partners from every part of the supply chain, VeTeSS will develop automated, quantitative processes usable at all stages of development. These will provide standardized data from verification for safety standards qualification. Development costs and time to market will be reduced, even with the increasing complexity of embedded systems and software.European industry will benefit from vendors being able to supply standard components for multiple applications, rather than products designed to a specific customer’s requirements. To test these as “safety elements out of context”, assumptions must be made about the environment in which they will be used. A standardized, evidence-based verification process will enable this reuse of components in different applications.The focus of VeTeSS is the strategically important automotive market. There are other industries with similar requirements and we will actively engage with those to share knowledge and disseminate results. The proposed developments are relevant to conventional vehicles as well as to new electric/hybrid vehicles. The safety of the latter needs to be proven to allow wider adoption, which will in turn be an important contribution to carbon emissions reduction.The results of the project will improve the competitiveness of the European embedded hardware and software industry. It will improve the safety, quality and reliability of products and enabling innovative technologies to increase road user safety. It will also benefit society by reducing accidents and related costs.1. Approved by ARTEMIS-JU on 22/02/2012.2. Updates approved for JUGA amendment No.1 by ARTEMIS-JU on 29/04/20133. Updates approved for JUGA amendment No.2 by ARTEMIS-JU on 8 May 2014, finally approved by ECSEL-JU on 21/11/2014