Complex sensor platforms are used in safeguards applications to provide reliable identification and monitoring of items of interest. The complexity of the software that controls a sensor platform is rarely understood by non programmers. Unfortunately, this lack of comprehension leads to misjudgments regarding the relative complexity and therefore the amount of effort required in developing a new system or modifying an existing system. This paper will explore general areas in which software complexity lurks and describe in a concise and easy to understand manner the effects of this complexity on the process involved in designing and implementing a sensor platform. This paper will also attempt to associate certain types of requirements and their contributions to the overall amount of effort required to implement a system. The result of this work should assist non programmers in carefully considering their requirements and help them gain insight into the potential pitfalls associated with their implementation. Troy Ross has extensive experience developing software for embedded seals used in safeguards applications for Sandia National Laboratories. He is the primary author of the software used in several variations of the Secure Sensor Platform (SSP) as well as the Enhanced Data Authentication System (EDAS).
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