An Automated Development Process for Interlocking Software that Cuts Costs and Provides Improved Methods for Checking Quality and Safety

摘要

When developing a safety critical application like a computerized railway interlocking, one major challenge is to maintain cost efficiency while meeting the strictest requirements on safe operation. This paper describes how this challenge can be overcome using the Prover iLock Process and its adaptation to North American interlocking systems based on AREMA signaling principles, the Prover iLock for American Railroads solution. The process significantly reduces development costs by providing automated tool support for simulation-based functional testing, formal safety verification, and automatic code generation targeting leading interlocking system platforms. The solution runs on a normal desktop computer, and makes it possible to configure, code, test and verify a system in less than a day. The Prover iLock for American Railroads solution has been developed by Prover Technology in close collaboration with Canadian Pacific Railway, who will deploy it as its standard development process for interlocking software. The solution is based on the AREMA specification library, providing pre-defined, but adaptable, specifications of design, testing and safety principles. Both vital and non-vital software for the VHLC, ElectroLoglXS and Microlok II platforms are supported.