Course synopsis

This 2-day course is about the MISRA C standard. It is particularly relevant to the production of modern embedded systems for consumer electronics and provides a comprehensive introduction to the background behind this important standard and how to comply with its requirements. It is suitable for both inexperienced and experienced C programmers and forms a sound, rigorous basis for development in MISRA-C environments.

The course is copiously illustrated with data from real systems. Workshops, self-assessments and intriguing problems are included.

Day 1

• A measurement based introduction to the need for safer subsets and what came before MISRA C.

• Difficulties in specification of rules for programming languages and the underlying background.

• An overview of MISRA C

• The base standard, ISO C90

• Required v. advisory behaviour

• Deviations: how to deviate, when and why

• Enforceable and non-enforceable rules

Day 2

• The rules in detail with examples

• The required rules

• The advisory rules

• Areas of uncertainty

• Apparent v. actual meaning

• Rule cross-talk and how to deal with it

• Implications for safety and reliability

• Static v. dynamic verification

• The spectrum of static and dynamic behaviour

• The future for safer subsetting