Master Thesis: Data Flow Analysis of Safety Critical Software i Linköping

At Saab, we are constantly looking ahead and challenging the limits of what is possible with the current technology. We work with colleagues around the world who all share our goal - to make the world a safer place.

Aeronautics engages in advanced development of military and civil aviation technology. It also conducts long-term future studies of manned and unmanned aircraft as preparation for new systems and further development of existing products. Aeronautics is also responsible for the development, production, marketing, sales and support of the Gripen system.

The Department of Software Process, Software Verification and Modeling is responsible for ensuring that we have effective development methods, processes and tools.

To ensure software maintainability, development projects use code standards to guide software development. Saab uses static analysis tools to enforce software code standards automatically.

We have developed a prototype tool based on Clang that is able to detect code constructs and perform analysis on a single translation unit (i.e. a C/C++ file and its includes).

Some rules, however, require analysis across multiple translation units. Examples of this could be

·         That a function does not call itself (recursion), directly or indirectly.

·         That the software does not contain dead code.

·         That the software does not contain unused variables.

We would like the student to investigate methods to analyze code standard rules across multiple translation units. This could be for example be implemented using static analysis functionality in the Clang framework such as Clang AST and Clang CFG.

Other methods for data flow analysis (including dynamic) could also be explored, if the applicant is interested.

The student will investigate how data flow analysis can benefit from safety-critical design constraints (e.g. strict usage of dynamic memory management) to analyze data flow within our code-base.

We are looking for students who want to complete a 30 ECTS degree project. You are enterprising, analytical and easy to collaborate with, both within and outside your own group. Your background is studies for an engineer’s degree related software.

As we work in several international collaborative projects, it is a condition that you master English in speech and writing.

Jonas Mattsson, Recruiting manager

Phone number: 010-216 8373

Oskar Landemark, Person of contact

Phone number: 010-216 6620

Saab is a global defense and security company operating in aviation, land and air transport, naval defense, civilian security and commercial aviation technology. We are 15,500 employees and have operations on all continents. Technically, we are the leader in many areas and one fifth of our revenue goes to research and development.

Saab is also a company of opportunity. A company where we see diversity as an asset and where you as an employee are given great responsibility and good development opportunities. But also a company that respects every person's need for a life outside of work.