Safety assurance for safety-critical embedded systems: Qualification of tools for complex electronic hardware

In recent decades, multiple application domains emerged that use computational devices embedded in commercial products that are sensitive to safety concerns. They include not only typical areas, such as nuclear technology and aircraft avionics, but also many medical devices, cars, railway transportation, and others. The essential requirements for this kind of products are so strict that they are regulated by respective government agencies, for example FAA and FDA in the U.S. This paper addresses the most important aspects of using software tools for designing complex electronic hardware for such systems and focuses on special assessment criteria for these tools.