Ada Resource Association

A free booklet, co-authored by AdaCore and Thales, explains how to exploit SPARK/Ada technology to achieve high levels of software assurance. The booklet, Implementation Guidance for the Adoption of SPARK, which explains how best to introduce and make use of the SPARK/Ada formal verification technology based on a project’s assurance goals. It explains the associated benefits and costs at each level, and details the processes that Thales is using to introduce formal verification in operational projects. The booklet will be a valuable resource for anyone responsible for producing high-assurance software for critical systems.

AdaCore has released its GNAT Pro 17.1 development environment for SYSGO’s Real-Time Operating System PikeOS®. AdaCore and SYSGO are longtime partners in the embedded market, with Ada’s reliability benefits providing an excellent match for SYSGO’s safety-critical PikeOS® RTOS. GNAT Pro for PikeOS® is especially suited for high-assurance embedded applications, thanks to its configurable run-time capability and its high-integrity profiles.

The handbook addresses the DO-178C / ED-12C standards suite, providing insights into how the Ada and SPARK languages, can help customers develop and verify airborne software. The handbook can be downloaded from http://www.adacore.com/press/handbook-do-178c-ed-12c-guidance/.

AdaCore has announced new versions of its flagship products GNAT Pro, CodePeer, QGen and SPARK Pro.

AdaCore’s CodePeer advanced static analysis tool for Ada has been formally designated as “CWE-Compatible” by the MITRE Corporation’s Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) Compatibility and Effectiveness Program. This program is a web-based initiative that consolidates and organizes information about cyber-security products and services.

AdaCore has announced the winners from the First “Make with Ada” programming competition. The prizes are awarded to the projects that best meet the overall criteria of software dependability, openness, collaborativeness and inventiveness. The First Place prize of €5000 went to Stephane Carrez for his EtherScope monitoring tool that analyzes Ethernet traffic.

AdaCore and Altran have announced their renewed sponsorship of the annual High Integrity Software Conference, which takes place in Bristol on 1 November 2016. The conference programme can be found at www.his-2016.co.uk/programme; it covers many topics including security, autonomy, standards and techniques & tools.

AdaCore’s GNAT Pro Ada cross compilation environment has been successfully used by Thales Alenia Space to develop and verify the critical software embedded on the ExoMars program. Thales Alenia Space implemented in Ada two ExoMars On-Board Software (OBSW) components: one for the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) on an ERC32 target, and one for the Entry, Descent and Landing Demonstrator Module (EDM) on a LEON2 target.

AdaCore has published a 70-page booklet authored by AdaCore expert Quentin Ochem and CERTIFIER safety assessor Jean-Louis Boulanger; it summarizes CENELEC EN 50128:2011 railway software standard and explains how the Ada programming language and AdaCore’s products can be used to meet its requirements throughout the software life cycle. The report can be downloaded from http://adacore.com/en-50128.

Today, AdaCore launched the “Make with Ada” programming competition, a contest that aims to help the embedded software community improve the quality of their code by encouraging the use of the Ada and SPARK programming languages. The competition will run from June 20 to September 30, 2016 and offers over €8000 in total prizes.