Validas is a software consultancy company that specializes in software validation for functional safety. It is the worldwide leading company in qualifying software development toolchains and software libraries.
The company’s commitment is ensuring the safety of embedded systems. Compliance with safety standards like ISO 26262, IEC 61508 and DO-330 can be guaranteed due to their certified classification and qualification process.
Interview with Oscar Slotosch, Tool and Library Qualification Expert at Validas.
Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?
Oscar Slotosch: Innovation comes with the use of developing tools; embedded systems are becoming more complex. For safe software you need safe development tools and safe software libraries. Validas supports its customers to pass safety compliance to be eligible to develop software in the functional safety domain, and that’s exactly what Validas is well known for around the world.
Validas offers its customers all services around qualification of tools and libraries for the safe and compliant development of embedded systems. Among our main activities are:
- Classification / Risk analysis of used tools
- Qualification of critical tools
- Qualification of libraries, for example the C++ STL.
Validas is an expert in library and tool qualification, we assist our customers with the analysis, design, and the systematic and automated validation of the use of their software development tools.
Key activities are the Qualification of Software Tools. Thereby Validas helps its customers to speed up their development process and reduce costs for extensive quality assessments during production.
Our Model-Based approach helps us to perform a highly automated workflow which has been certified by the Technical Inspection Association TÜV Süd.”
E.E: What’s the news about new products?
O.S: We create qualification kits that can qualify several hundreds of C++ standard template functions which perform qualifications automatically on the client side.
Rigorous risk analysis and testing are performed, which increases trust in critical tools.
E.E: What are the ranges of products?
O.S: Any software that has been developed is susceptible to unsafe developing tools, the range covers any domain where software has been implemented.
Validas ensures the efficient use of methods and tools in the software development process of embedded systems particularly in the automotive industry.
For standard tools (gtest, IBM ELM, gcov) and libraries (C++ STL) we have standard QKits that can be adapted. We also offer the creation of QKits for tools on the market and for in-house tools. Also, we can create classification and Qualification kits for open-source software tools & libraries.
E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
O.S: The market is experiencing an important transition where car manufacturers need to certify their software developing tools to be in compliance with safety standards, this is becoming mandatory rather than optional and that’s where Validas is extremely active.
Among our clients, we have leading car manufacturers who are one step ahead and we are their safety partners by ensuring that their developing toolchains comply with the most rigorous standards.
We are number one in the automotive industry and are expanding into other markets such as the medical and financial sectors.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
O.S: New technologies allow the development of complex systems, the emergence of autonomous vehicles requires a whole new perspective regarding safety, at Validas we have the vision and expertise and adapt those developments.
There is an increasing number of embedded technologies installed in automated systems, those require the highest safety standards to make sure that those critical systems are not influenced by errors introduced by unsafe developing tools that might result in undesired behaviors.
Additionally, the regulatory requirements are increasing and the new regulations from the UNECE (e.g., regulation #157 for automated line keeping systems (ALKS), make it impossible to bring a system with ALKS to the street without the use of qualified tools and libraries. This makes European streets safer than others.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
O.S: High quality software is the result of carefully selected and coordinated processes, methods, and tools. At Validas, we combine the model-based approach and automation with industrial standards.
We are experts in functional safety in embedded systems. We work in compliance with safety standards such as ISO 26262, IEC 61508, DO-178/330 or EN 50128, which demand proof of the trustworthiness of the tools used.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2023?
O.S: The embedded software installed in vehicles will continue growing, more regulations will be implemented, and the automotive companies will follow more rigorous safety standards. There will be an increase in car makers adopting the new regulations and we are the company that can help them to reach that level of safety.