Manage Software and FirmwareUnderstanding change impact across the

electronics software, hardware, and firmware

Author: Ad Ghauri

Manage Software and Firmware FilesSCM PLM Interface Challenges

Business challengesSoftware development is often isolated from other development groups

Source code management is usually performed in isolated SCM applicationsSoftware components are not managed within the product configuration

Software build workflow processes are inconsistent with product developmentSoftware features are not traceable to product requirements

Interfaces or migration if sunsettingSoftware source code management

(Release Management)Software problem management

(Change Management)Clearcase Subversion Clearquest Jira

Bill of Material

Products essentially are now a HYBRID of electronics, controls, hardware, firmware and software

Part Hardware Soft/Firm-ware Burner

Manage Software and Firmware FilesUnderstanding Bidirectional Impacts

ECM as a component of an EngineEngine design, engineering and manufacturing can not work in isolation from ECM Software development and testing

ECM Software development and testing should be done with the latest hardware configuration. As the ECM software reads live hardware sensor data from Engine configuration to enable operational decision making

Therefore ECM Software development and testing needs to be part of the Design, Engineering and Manufacturing BOMs. At the least the latest executables, enabling tools (image burners), and product configuration must be aligned in all BOMs.

ECM Software build processes must be aligned with product design and manufacturing processes

Software features must be traceable in product requirements. In the modern software driven products, there is not just a on/off data from sensors, but variable data from CAN bus ranging from 0V – 5V which for example may enable opening and closing of certain

valves at different thresholds.

Release and Change Control InterfacesModifications in Product’s FFF (Form, Fit, Function)

propagates changes in ECM software logicChanges in ECM software can impact behavioral

changes in one or more Engine partsBOM for Engine version includes a versioned package of ECM software files

Released ECM Software codeEngine Assembly

VersionECM Box & bolts

etc. VersionsECM PCB Version

ECM Hardware + Firmware Version

Config + Dependent Executable version

Tool Version Dependency

Engine M272.941 with ECM V4.1

Design

Requirements Traceability and alignment with Design, Testing and Manufacturing Processes

Testi

ng

Manage Software and Firmware FilesCurrent Modularity

Engine M272.941

ECMV4.1

H/W Sensor Configuration

SEN-941

PCB Configuration

PCB-4.1

Test ResultsTR-101

Circuit DiagramCD-4.1

SCMPLMAreas of Interest

SC Release and Change Management

SVN

ClearcaseSW compilation

No Part Context in

SCM or PLM for impact analysis or traceability

• As product complexity increases and software-driven electronics make their way into more and more product offerings, today’s high tech and electronics companies need to find a way to break down the barriers that have isolated their software development process from the rest of the product lifecycle.

• Best-in-class product manufacturers are looking to integrate their software development domain with their mechanical, electronic and control system design domains and intelligently manage their various interdependencies

• Best-in-class product manufacturers manage the software lifecycle in the context of a total and truly integrated product development environment

Manage Software and Firmware FilesBest in Class Strategies

Software and Firmware as a partSoftware requirements as part of a whole product requirement and

specification

Software entities as a component or part of the total productSoftware is a component in the overall product just like an armature in a

motor

All of the tools and processes used across the software lifecycle Tools and Processes in manufacturing for certain product version are

synonymous with the software, firmware, burning & configuration tools for software

Manage Software and Firmware FilesAvoiding Isolation through effective Release Management and Change

Control

• Track, Manage, and Configure software and firmware as an integrated part in product development

• Link software and firmware features to the product requirements that define how the software interacts with other parts of the system.

• Establish and ensure appropriate dependencies and compatibilities during product development

• Ensure that software identification, auditing, accounting and configuration management are streamlined

• Ensure software modules compatibilities before development. Ensure software is compatible with the electronics hardware

• Ensure that changes to software and hardware modules are managed from concept to EOL

• Ensure impacts of software changes are analyzed before changes are authorized and executed

• Ensure software development implements features based on an requirements-driven process

Manage Software and Firmware FilesSoftware and Firmware as a part - strategies

• Manage core software development tools and processes• Streamline development and QA processes for impact analysis, change execution,

and tool application/modification processes.• While Software Configuration Management (SCM) manages the development cycle

well, PLM manages the requirements, system design and corresponding hardware life cycles best.

• PLM plays a dominate role in the change management, production, support, maintenance and end-of-life phases of software & firmware

• Aligning Software Configuration Management (SCM) and PLM processes is therefore achieves best results.

• Develop mechatronics data model that addresses the needs of the software and firmware data lifecycles.

• In practice once the software & firmware applications are developed, they will be tested either in simulation or against physical product. In either case the correct version of design model or physical prototype respectively will be required.

• Develop handover process from SCM to PLM and vice versa for developing a requirement to testing a requirement to making it part of the product BOM

Manage Software and Firmware FilesSoftware & Firmware tools and process management - strategies

Manage Software and Firmware FilesIllustrative Mechatronics Product Life Cycle

Manage Software and Firmware FilesIllustrative Mechatronics Product Life Cycle

Manage Software and Firmware FilesIllustrative Mechatronics Product Life Cycle

Software functional and non-functional Requirements

System functional and non-functional Requirement

SC-41.0.09 SW SC-41.x can only be programmed with Tool BT-9041 into ECM V4.1

Manage Software and Firmware FilesIllustrative Mechatronics Product Life Cycle

What processes are involved in ensuring SW requirements are tied to

overall product requirements

What processes are involved in ensuring SW development processes

are tied to overall product development

What processes are involved in ensuring SW

burning tools are associated as dependencies

What processes are involved in ensuring SW

Release Management processes are aligned

with Engineering Change Management

What processes are involved in ensuring SW

testing is done with latest design based

prototypes

What processes are involved in ensuring SW,

burner tools, and PCB etc. are all packaged

correctly first in EBOM and later MBOM

Based on the illustrations above lets analyze the relevant processes

Align PLM with SCM processes - Configuration identification, control, status accounting & auditing

Manage Software and Firmware FilesSW requirements tied to overall product

What processes are involved in ensuring SW requirements are tied to overall product requirements

Manage Software and Firmware FilesSW development is part of product development

What processes are involved in ensuring SW development processes are tied to overall product development

Manage Software and Firmware FilesSW testing based on latest product design

What processes are involved in ensuring SW testing is done with latest design based prototypes

Manage Software and Firmware FilesSW burning tools dependencies

What processes are involved in ensuring SW burning tools are associated as dependencies

Manage Software and Firmware FilesSW Release Management alignment with Engineering Change

What processes are involved in ensuring SW Release Management processes are aligned with Engineering Change Management

Manage Software and Firmware FilesSW, burner tools, and PCB etc. disposition in EBOM and MBOM

What processes are involved in ensuring SW, burner tools, and PCB etc. are all packaged correctly first in EBOM and later MBOM

Manage Software and Firmware FilesAlign PLM with SCM processes - Configuration identification, control,

status accounting & auditing

What SCM processes are involved in ensuring alignment of Configuration identification, control, status accounting & auditing

• Software as a competitive advantage. McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group.• Systems Engineering: At Teamcenter's Core. CimData Corporation.• Engineering Evolved: Getting Mechatronics Performance Right the First Time. Aberdeen Group.• Configuration Management Guidance". Department of Defense. • Design for PCB assembly/test. Siemens Product Lifecycle Management.• National Consensus Standard for Configuration Management. TechAmerica. • History and Heritage of Civil Engineering. ASCE.• Teamcenter gateway for electronic design automation. Siemens Product Lifecycle Management.• Institution of Civil Engineers What is Civil Engineering. ICE. • Configuration Management and the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) National Lessons Learned Program. Federal

Transportation Administration.• Systems Engineering Fundamentals. Defense Acquisition University Press.• Configuration Management Compliance Validation: Critical Review and Technology Assessment(CR/TA)Report. Defense

Technical Information Center.• Analysis of Standards for Lifecycle Management of Systems for US Army. National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Author: Ad Ghauri

Manage Software and Firmware FilesSpecial thanks to References