Software library qualification is required by functional safety standards because the library code is incorporated into the application and installed on the target device and a faulty library can jeopardise the functional safety of the application. Therefore, both a qualified compiler and a qualified C library must be used for the development of software that must meet functional safety requirements according to standards such as ISO 26262 or IEC 61508.
The TriCore Qualified C Library is a full-featured ISO C library that provides approximately 600 functions. Of these, about 200 functions are suitable for use in ASIL-D software, the remaining functions are qualified for use in lower level ASIL or QM software. This allows for easy integration of the library into existing projects, interfacing with third-party operating systems, and enables the use of printf-style debugging and logging.
The QClib comes with a safety manual in both human readable (pdf) and machine readable (ReqIF) format. The ReqIF format makes it possible to automatically import the guidelines from the safety manual into the user's requirements management system. The structure of the ReqIF file is such that all safety requirements are uniquely identifiable and allows reuse and sharing of safety analyses performed by different development teams, as well as (partial) reuse of safety analyses performed on different versions of the QClib product.
Using the Qualified C Library reduces the cost and lead time of safety related software and reduces product liability risks. The library is specifically designed for use in embedded systems and is highly optimised in terms of code size, execution speed, and accuracy of mathematical functions.
