Software quality assurance plans for safety-critical software
- AREVA NP Inc., AREVA, Siemens Company, 1345 Ridgeland Parkway, Alpharetta, GA 30004 (United States)
Application software is defined as safety-critical if a fault in the software could prevent the system components from performing their nuclear-safety functions. Therefore, for nuclear-safety systems, the AREVA TELEPERM{sup R} XS (TXS) system is classified 1E, as defined in the Inst. of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Std 603-1998. The application software is classified as Software Integrity Level (SIL)-4, as defined in IEEE Std 7-4.3.2-2003. The AREVA NP Inc. Software Program Manual (SPM) describes the measures taken to ensure that the TELEPERM XS application software attains a level of quality commensurate with its importance to safety. The manual also describes how TELEPERM XS correctly performs the required safety functions and conforms to established technical and documentation requirements, conventions, rules, and standards. The program manual covers the requirements definition, detailed design, integration, and test phases for the TELEPERM XS application software, and supporting software created by AREVA NP Inc. The SPM is required for all safety-related TELEPERM XS system applications. The program comprises several basic plans and practices: 1. A Software Quality-Assurance Plan (SQAP) that describes the processes necessary to ensure that the software attains a level of quality commensurate with its importance to safety function. 2. A Software Safety Plan (SSP) that identifies the process to reasonably ensure that safety-critical software performs as intended during all abnormal conditions and events, and does not introduce any new hazards that could jeopardize the health and safety of the public. 3. A Software Verification and Validation (V and V) Plan that describes the method of ensuring the software is in accordance with the requirements. 4. A Software Configuration Management Plan (SCMP) that describes the method of maintaining the software in an identifiable state at all times. 5. A Software Operations and Maintenance Plan (SO and MP) that describes software-related practices after delivery to a customer. Some of these plans are supported by IEEE standards endorsed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in its regulatory guides. For example, the Verification and Validation Plan follows the format and content guidance of IEEE Std. 1012-1998, as endorsed by RG 1.168. Where format and content guidance is not provided by industry standards, the requirements are outlined in the SPM. This paper addresses the SQAP. The other aspects of the SPM are not included (i.e., Software V and V, SCMP, etc.). The SQAP follows the applicable format and content guidance in IEEE Std. 730-2002, and incorporates the applicable QA requirements from IEEE Std. 336-1977, with respect to inspection and testing, up to and including factory acceptance testing. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 22030096
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: NPIC and HMIT 2006: 5. International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Plant Instrumentation Controls, and Human Machine Interface Technology, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 12-16 Nov 2006; Other Information: Country of input: France; Related Information: In: Proceedings of the 5. International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Plant Instrumentation Controls, and Human Machine Interface Technology| 1430 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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