Sublinked CSCIs at test and integration-application and its implications on development environments

The software engineering principles that lead to the decomposition of a software system to CSCIs (computer software configuration items) were applied in the software integration phase of a relatively large tightly coupled multiprocessor system. Accordingly, the integration of this nondistributed embedded software system was accelerated and the product was improved by separately linking the CSCIs. Interfacing modules were added to each separately linked subsystem to enable it to access its imported services. Subsystem linking (sublinking), implemented manually and aided by ad hoc tools, is described. Followed by a discussion of its possible applications to software development environments (i.e. compilers, linkers, test tools, ICEs, and debuggers) which at present scarcely support test and integration with separately linked executable images.< >