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Automotive requirements engineering is both a phase of software development lifecycle and a subdomain of software engineering.

Generally, “requirements” is defined as the description of the functionality of software under design and its properties (functional and nonfunctional requirements). Requirements are often perceived as textual documentation.

However, in automotive software engineering, automotive requirements can have multiple forms—starting from the short textual descriptions of functionality to fully executable model-based specifications.

Automotive requirements deal with the methods, tools, and techniques for eliciting, specifying, documenting, prioritizing, and quality assuring the requirements. The requirements themselves are very important in enhancing the quality of software in various ways as quality is defined as the degree to which software fulfills the user requirements, implicit expectations and professional standards.

About 90% of the innovations on today’s vehicles are driven by electrics/electronics or software functions. This shifts the focus from a component-oriented perspective to a function-oriented view in engineering.

At the same time, descriptions of systems and subsystems are required in order to coordinate collaboration with suppliers. These different views on the system under development essentially affect requirements engineering.

On the one hand, information have to be provided, such as for requirement specifications for single systems. On the other hand, requirements have to be defined for functions realized on different systems and subsystems.

Needless to say, the challenges of writing automotive requirements have never been greater, especially in the functional safety realm.

The role ofwriting requirements in the realm of automotive functional safety is to provide a clear understanding of the needs for implementation, independent of the Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL). 

It is important to clearly define what is going to be implemented, and how it is going to be implemented. This is accomplished through the creation and use of two key documents that are scoped and tailored to the automotive industry:

  • Feasibility Study Report (FSR): Provides analysis and justification for the project that summarizes the activity, identifies a project’s solutions and defines whether it is practical and realistic.
  • Technical Safety Requirements (TSR): The requirements that define the conditions, safe boundaries, and management or administrative controls necessary to ensure the manufacture and proper operation of a safe vehicle.

Want to know more about automotive requirements engineering and management training? Tonex offers a 3-day Automotive Requirements Engineering and Management course.

Tonex also offers nearly 400 classes, seminars and workshops in close to four dozen categories of systems engineering training.

For more information, questions, comments, contact us.

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