Assessment and development of robust software for communication in buses

Abstract

New quality demands combined with existing problems with software updates led to a desire of improved robustness in one of Volvo Buses’ control units. The code was analyzed by a static code analysis tool, tested and manual reviewed. A breakdown into five different fields (writing convention for the code, incorrect input, internal error, memory shortage and work overload) allowed for focused analysis. The gathered results were then used to design improvements for the unit, some implemented and some only evaluated. The aim was to increase the unit’s robustness when communicating. The changes made improved the memory usage and calculated the work load more accurately. This led to less resets and a more robust system. However, if more robustness would be needed in the future, the current operating system would need to be replaced.