Supporting an Automotive Safety Case through Systematic Model Based Development - the EAST-ADL2 Approach 2008-01-0127

Automotive electronic systems are becoming safety related causing a need for more systematic and stringent approaches for demonstrating the functional safety. The safety case consists of an argumentation, supported by evidence, of why the system is safe to operate in a given context. It is dependent on referencing and aggregating information which is part of the EAST-ADL2, an architecture description language for automotive embedded systems. This paper explores the possibilities of integrating the safety case metamodel with the EAST-ADL2, enabling safety case development in close connection to the system model. This is done by including a safety case object in EAST-ADL2, and defining the external and internal relations. Combined with the support for structured information management and systematic safety/reliability analysis, the EAST-ADL2's ability to support a safety case is shown and further benefits, as high level of traceability between the safety case and the design information, are identified.