Applying the SCR requirements method to a weapons control panel: An experience report

Abstract

A major barrier to the use of formal methods in software practice is the difficulty software developers have understanding and applying the methods. To overcome this barrier, a requirements method called SCR (Software Cost Reduction) offers a user-friendly tabular notation to specify software requirements and a collection of easy-to-use tools that automatically detect many classes of errors in requirements specifications. This paper describes our experience in applying the SCR method and tools to a safety-critical military application - the problems encountered in translating the original contractor-produced software requirements specification into SCR and the lessons learned in applying the SCR technology to a practical system. The short time required to apply the SCR method, the serious safety violation detected, and the working system prototype produced demonstrate the utility and potential cost-effectiveness of SCR for developing safety-critical systems.