With Axivion Bauhaus Suite, the growing number of software-based product variants used can be managed easily. At HENSOLDT Sensors (formerly Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security), the Axivion tool suite, with its automatic architecture and code analysis, supports successful variant management and the efficient further development of products with many variants.
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Multitude of variants due to individual customer requirements
HENSOLDT Sensors is a leading global provider of premium electronics in the fields of defence, reconnaissance and surveillance as well as situation assessment. The Software Engineering – Operational Support Systems (OSS) department is responsible for software development for mission planning and support systems for the weapon systems of all helicopter types. Since international customers have very individual requirements for these operational support systems, a product-line architecture, which can be managed and further developed efficiently, was introduced for the multitude of system variants. To ensure that the planned structures are also implemented systematically and uniformly and correctly by the software implementation, it is necessary to check compliance with the architecture – a task which involves considerable manual effort.
Advantages over manual tests
In the meantime, manual checks are no longer capable of meeting the high requirements in a time and cost-efficient manner. Because of this, the company decided on the Axivion Bauhaus Suite. This not only enables a very efficient, but also a constantly complete review of the actual architecture. The continuous comparison of the product implementation in the source code with the specified product line architecture means that deviations are immediately visible to the architects and developers. Daniel Zimmermann, Head of OSS Software, HENSOLDT Sensors GmbH pinpoints the advantages: “With the Axivion Bauhaus Suite, we have significantly reduced our integration efforts and the integration risk.”
Metrics and code tests against software erosion
Beyond architecture analysis, the Axivion Bauhaus Suite is also used to test metrics. In addition, programming guidelines are monitored with the Axivion Bauhaus suite, in order to ensure that the software can be maintained, in order to minimise the probability of errors and to protect the code against further causes of software erosion. The results of the metrics and code tests are also used as KPIs in reviews and reporting. The reviews are free of repetitive ballast – they therefore run significantly more efficiently and allow architects and developers to concentrate fully on the main, constructive aspects. Permanent analysis during development ensures that the architecture is implemented consistently as planned.
The “living” and always current architecture also increases flexibility in development and allows HENSOLDT Sensors to respond quickly to change requests from customers. This means that any deviations can be corrected much more costeffectively and with less risk to the deadline.
About HENSOLDT
HENSOLDT is an independent and globally leading supplier of premium sensors for security and surveillance missions. The company is a global player in such areas as missile warning systems and submarine periscopes. Moreover, HENSOLDT is very active in the market for radar systems, optronics and electronic protection systems. The company comprises the security and defence electronics activities of the Airbus Group, which were spun off from the group in 2017 and have now entered the market as a new sensor house under the brand name of HENSOLDT. HENSOLDT employs approximately 4,000 employees, generating annual revenues of about € 1 billion.
For further information on HENSOLDT go to www.hensoldt.net
Image rights: HENSOLDT
