The use of formal methods in a commercial V&V consultancy

Abstract

The paper reports on the use of formal methods in an on-going verification and validation consultancy. The system which is the subject of the consultancy is the fire control software for an active missile decoy system. In terms of scale, the authors believe that this project represents the most significant industrial use of formal methods in Australia to date. They outline the role played by formal methods in the overall development process, and list the tools and techniques that have been used. They comment on their experiences with those tools and techniques. A case study from the project is presented. It illustrates the application of formal methods during the validation phase of the development process.