Embedded System - Configuration Tool Limit Checking

[bshole]

I am developing an embedded system with around 1000 adjustable variables that can be set by the end user. This embedded system will be in safety critical systems.

The question is this. Is it acceptable practice to put all of the range checking of adjustable variables within the configuration tool and then test/verify that improper variable values can never get into the software via the configuration tool OR must the software do all the range checks itself. This can get quite complicated because the value of one variable can impact the limits of multiple other variables. In terms of testing, there is a significant hit to test time when testing of all limits must be run on the configuration tool, the embedded software in run mode and the embedded software in configuration mode. This is eliminated when limit checking is contained within the configuration tool.

 

[Gryz]

I think that is a question that only the future user(s) of your software can answer.
Certainly not random *redacted* on a random forum on the Internet. Who should remember not to swear in the technical forums. -- Programming Moderator Ken g6

bshole, 12 months from now, after a plane crashed: "Sorry. I knew it was a risk. But people on the Internet told me it was an acceptable risk !"


To give you a little related input: I write software for network equipment. Users can configure our boxes via the cli, or via snmp, or via netconf/yang. All those 3 do check the input. They then send " a message" to the "backend". That's the real software that does the real stuff. And that software checks the input again. Better safe than sorry. Note, ram or cpu-power is not really a limitation for us. So this approach requires extra programming effort. But not a lot of extra resources at run-time.

 

[sdifox]

Liability is too high for you to skip range check on the actual system.

Once worked for an engineer that won't let me use borland c math library...this was for a mine, gas detectors.

I think I was a much higher risk than borland c math library :biggrin:

 

[Flayed]

Validation is boring skip it lol