IT services company, IPL launches Cantata++ 6.0, the latest unit and integration testing software for C and C++ embedded systems developers. Cantata++ 6.0 is built on the Eclipse 3.5.2 open standard architecture with the highest level of integration with the Eclipse Workbench. It is very easily deployed and greatly simplifies the configuration of unit testing on target platforms – providing a complete test development environment for the creation, execution and analysis of unit and integration tests for C and C++.
IPL Cantata++ 6.0 provides advanced high productivity techniques, allowing developers to dynamically and repeatedly prove their code with intelligent unit and integration testing, in the most cost effective manner. It easily integrates with the developer desktop, compilers and embedded target platforms.
Standards Compliance
International standards for most safety related industries require that evidence of low level testing and how much of the code was tested, is provided to obtain certification for the device software. In addition, most standards require qualification/certification of the test tool or for it to be proven through use. Cantata++ 6.0 tool qualification evidence is provided free of charge.
Cantata++ has been successfully used by customers worldwide since the 1990s to meet all the international safety related standards including: IEC61508 and its various sector specific derivatives, DO-178B for avionics, and IEC62304/FDA Guidelines for medical devices.
Commercial Risk
Thorough software testing, only possible at the developer level due to application complexity, is necessary to ensure that complex devices with embedded software:
§ perform reliably
§ do not negatively impact brand or corporate reputations
§ provide a defence against litigation on grounds of fitness for purpose.
Cost of Testing
Unit testing and low level integration testing are the earliest tests performed during software development. This level of testing is also the least expensive time to fix software bugs, and can be done before bugs pollute the wider code stream, or affect shipping devices.
Interface Testing
Only Cantata++ has the flexibility and power of automated programmable wrapping, to intercept function calls, increasing the control over component interfaces. More flexible than stubs or mock objects, wrapping reduces the cost of unit test stubbing and makes integration testing viable.
Flexibility of Dynamic testing
Cantata++ provides a complete toolkit for black-box / white-box testing, with large data sets and robustness tests, and unique white-box code accessibility instrumentation, as well as best in class support for object oriented C++. The flexibility of having the right tool for the task, increases tester efficiency, and as Cantata++ tests are written in C/C++, there is no need to learn a new test scripting language.
Advanced Code Coverage
Cantata++ code coverage is fully integrated with tests and provides the most detailed (highlighting by code syntax) and configurable diagnostics for all standard industry coverage metrics – including MC/DC – available in any tool.
Baseline Testing
Cantata++ 6.0 baseline testing will be of particular interest for those organisations which have a significant existing C code base without a set of regression unit tests, or where the developers wish to reduce or remove their reliance on expensive manual functional level tests. It also provides a highly automated upgrade route for replacing unsatisfactory unit test solutions. Baseline testing may also prove a useful mechanism to automatically and easily achieve very high levels of code coverage as a supplement to requirements based testing.
Pricing and Availability
Cantata++ 6.0 is launched with immediate availability. Flexible pricing options include annual licensing or outright purchase. Pricing varies according to the number of seats purchased and can be as little as £2000 per developer. Although prices may vary according to international geography.
