Mentor Graphics ReqTracer automates requirements tracking, reporting for electronic design projects
Posted by Courtney E. Howard
WILSONVILLE, Ore., 5 April 2010. Mentor Graphics Corp. has introduced the ReqTracer tool, designed to address the critical need to automate the capture of requirements and match verification results to those requirements. The ReqTracer tool is architected to support disciplines ranging from electronic system level design, to electronic hardware design to software design, and fits naturally into existing design, verification, and implementation flows.
The goal of good project management is to trace and manage design requirements completely from specification through implementation, says a representative. With design complexity rising exponentially, it has become impractical to manage requirements tracking and reporting with traditional manual methods.
The ReqTracer tool automates the task and delivers a complete, predictable requirements management process with a high level of visibility. With this automated approach, project teams can focus more effort on implementation and verification, and more quickly achieve verification closure (the point where the team has validated that all requirements are met). This equates to significant benefits for all projects, especially safety-critical applications and mandatory DO-254 certification, where product failure could result in injuries or fatalities.
The ReqTracer tool links, manages, and tracks requirements from multiple sources throughout the design process, provides easy documentation and reports at any stage, and manages the impact of requirement changes. This level of traceability enables visual tracing across all documents and results data, clear tracking of requirements status, and the analysis of engineering change orders (ECOs).
To ensure ease of use and streamline the requirements tracking process, the ReqTracer tool is integrated with commercial requirements management and version and configuration management tools. The result is better control, simplified design reviews, predictability of design schedules and improved overall product quality, according to a company representative.
"ReqTracer allows us to track design requirements and design verification test results throughout the entire product development cycle, ultimately providing real-time measurement of progress," says Bob Pellegrino, principal electrical engineer, Elbit Systems of America. "With ReqTracer, it all comes together in one easy format."
"The core technology in ReqTracer has been used successfully in a software environment for many years," says Guy Moshe, general manager, Design Creation Division, Mentor Graphics. "By extending the technology to support a broader scope of electronic design projects, Mentor is serving a large and growing market that is currently underserved by any other provider."
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