Automation of Coding Guideline Checks for Embedded Software Development
A leading global partner in the aviation industry, renowned for developing hightech solutions that enhance comfort, safety, and sustainability in air travel, partnered with ALTEN India to support the development of embedded software for an IOM (Input/Output Module) unit.
As part of this collaboration, ALTEN India played a crucial role across multiple phases of the software development life cycle, including design, development, integration, and quality assurance.
Challenge:
In embedded software development, writing compact, optimized, and reliable code is essential. To maintain quality, a comprehensive set of coding rules and coding guidelines must be followed.
While rule compliance could be verified using an automated rulechecker tool, there was no existing tool to validate adherence to coding guidelines.
This led to several issues:
- Manual checks were slow and time consuming
- High risk of missing guideline violations
- Inconsistent review quality across developers
- Increased effort during code review and integration phases
This gap clearly indicated the need for automation.
Solution:
To overcome these challenges, ALTEN India developed the SCG (Software Coding Guidelines) Tool, an automated solution built using Python.
- Documented all FEA assumptions, including cantilever modeling, load distribution, and boundary condition limitations.
- Created activity maps for redesign cycles, simulation validation, and material testing.
Key Features of the SCG Tool
- Userfriendly GUI: Allows easy selection of guideline rule(s) to be validated
- Automated scanning: Quickly checks source code for violations
- Consistent and repeatable validation: Removes dependency on manual review accuracy
- Instant report generation: Highlights guideline breaches for quick correction
This tool significantly accelerated the coding guideline compliance process
- Conducted advanced FEA to reveal hidden stress zones on the ground plate’s curve margin.
- Proposed design changes—geometry tweaks and load path realignment—to prevent fractures.
- Integrated early digital validation to cut prototyping and ensure safety compliance.
Benefits
The SCG Tool provides several measurable advantages:
a) Improved Efficiency
- Instant validation reports
- Eliminates repetitive manual guideline checks
b) Higher Code Quality
- Consistent detection of guideline violations
- Reduced human error during reviews
c) Enhanced Productivity
- Developers save time and can focus on logic and feature development
- Faster review and integration cycles
Knowledge Where It Counts
At ALTEN India, technical expertise meets purposeful innovation. Our engineers bring deep experience in embedded software development, coding standards, and automation tooling, enabling us to address complex quality assurance challenges with accuracy and efficiency. Whether it’s optimizing code for safety critical aviation systems, ensuring compliance with strict coding rules and guidelines, or integrating automated checks into existing development workflows, we apply our knowledge exactly where it matters most: in delivering robust, reliable, and future ready embedded software solutions.
Tools & Technologies Used:
- PyCharm – IDE used for Python development
- Python Interpreter – Platform for executing automation scripts and GUI logic
- SVN (Subversion) – Version control system used for source code management