Cantata - The Unit Testing Tool for C/C++

Cantata provides advanced high productivity techniques, allowing developers to dynamically prove their code with intelligent unit and integration testing, in the most cost effective manner.

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The Cantata Eclipse user interface provides a complete test development environment for the creation, execution and analysis of unit and integration tests. It easily integrates with the developer desktop, compilers and embedded target platforms.

Management Overview   Technical Overview   What's New in Cantata 6.2

 

Major Features of Cantata - The Unit Testing Tool for C/C++

Unit & Integration testing 

  • C & C++
  • Development host and embedded targets  

Highly automated  

  • Re-usable test harness
  • Test script generation written in C/C++
  • Unique call interface control to simulate and intercept calls
  • Automatic white-box accessibility
  • Large data sets and robustness testing

Automated regression testing Automatic generation of complete baseline of unit tests for legacy C code.

Most advanced integrated code coverage analysis available for C/C++ and Java.  Fully qualifiable for safety critical use.  

Cantata++ Unit & Integration testing
Tool Certification

SGS TÜV SAAR has certified Cantata as "Usable in development of safety related software” up to the highest safety integrity levels for the following standards:

  • IEC 61508 (general industrial)
  • ISO 26262 (automotive)
  • EN 50128 (railways)
  • IEC 60880 (nuclear power)
  • IEC 62304 (medical devices)

enabling our customers to achieve product certifications to these standards more easily and in less time.

Cantata CoverageViewer
Unit Testing Made Easy for Safety Critical Software


Cantata Demonstration



Cantata Robustness Demo

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Standards Papers
This paper provides detailed guidance on using Cantata in a safety related context, in conjunction with the relevant standards briefing paper.
Cantata 6.1 Safety Manual | PDF | 944 KB
This paper describes how AdaTEST 95 and Cantata can be used to assist with the development of software to the Galileo Software Standard (GSWS).
Testing Tools GSWS | PDF | 93 KB
This paper describes how QA Systems Testing Products can be used to assist with the verification and validation of software according to the FDA Software Validation Guidelines.
Testing Tools FDA Software Validation Guidelines | PDF | 68 KB
This paper describes how AdaTEST 95 and Cantata can be used to assist with the development of software to the standard RTCA/DO-178B.
Testing Tools RTCA DO-178B | PDF | 73 KB
This paper describes how QA Systems Testing Products can be used to assist with the verification and validation of software according to the ECSS E-40 Standard on Space Software Engineering.
Testing Tools ECSS E-40 | PDF | 53 KB
This paper describes how QA Systems Testing Products can be used within a software development adhering to the MISRA Development Guidelines for Vehicle Based Software.
Testing Tools MISRA Dev Guidelines | PDF | 61 KB
This paper describes how QA Systems Testing Products can be used within a software development using an ISO 9001 / BS5750 / TickIT compliant Quality Management System.
Testing Tools ISO9001/BS5750/Tick IT | PDF | 30 KB
This paper describes how QA Systems Testing Products can be used within the CMM framework, and details how they can be used to assist an organisation to transition between CMM levels.
Testing Tools SEI Capability Maturity Model | PDF | 59 KB
This paper describes how QA Systems Testing Products can be used within a software development to MIL-STD-498.
Testing Tools MIL-STD-498 | PDF | 73 KB
This paper shows how QA Systems Testing Products can be used to assist with the development of software to Defence Standard 00-55.
Testing Tools MoD Defence Standard 00-55 | PDF | 53 KB
This paper describes how QA Systems Testing Products can be used to assist with the development of software to EN50128, Software for Railway Control and Protection Systems.
Testing Tools EN50128 | PDF | 92 KB
This paper describes how QA Systems Testing Products can be used to assist with the development of software to IEC880, Software for Computers in the Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Stations.
Testing Tools IEC880 | PDF | 63 KB
This paper describes how QA Systems Testing Products can be used within a software development to DOD-STD-2167A.
Testing Tools DOD-STD 2167A | PDF | 62 KB
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Land Transport
Alcatel's experiences of using Cantata during development of an automated, high-speed transport system.
Case Study Alcatel Transport Automation | PDF | 86 KB
Use of Cantata on the UK National Motorway Communication System, developed under IEC 61508.
Case Study UK Highways Agency | PDF | 141 KB
Telecom / Datacom
Cantata for testing of a Client-Server German telecom network management system with intensive user-interfaces implemented in C++.
Case Study Dr. Keil Informationstechnik | PDF | 75 KB
Cantata testing C++ Intelligent Networks products for telco's to operate, maintain and extend services to millions of domestic and commercial subscribers.
Case Study Marconi Communications | PDF | 88 KB
Adoption of Cantata for testing a large control room system for a major utility company, and changes to their software development strategy.
Case Study Simoco Digital Systems | PDF | 126 KB
Medical
The FDA Guidelines on software for medical systems place stringent requirements on testing. This case study illustrates use of Cantata in meeting those demands and how outsource of testing was managed.
Case Study GE Medical Systems | PDF | 83 KB
Case study illustrating use of Cantata to develop FDA-compliant software for safety-related medical equipment.
Case Study Hamilton Medical | PDF | 66 KB
Aerospace and Avionics
Use of Cantata over seven years for testing to DO-178B Level B standard, of a number of aero-engine monitoring units.
Case Study Vibro-Meter | PDF | 65 KB
Miscellaneous
The move into object oriented C++, RAD development and how Cantata helped them create a structured bottom-up testing production line.
Case Study Britannia Building Society | PDF | 93 KB
Use of AdaTEST and Cantata on several high-integrity projects: a Def Stan 00-55 pilot project, a Digital Electronic Engine Controller, and a Nuclear Monitoring system.
Case Study Optimized Systems and Solutions | PDF | 95 KB
Use of Cantata on three projects: a test system for the Rolls-Royce Adour Mk 106 gas turbine engine in Jaguar strike aircraft, a railway signalling configuration tool, a Dynamic Test System for a Primary Reactor Protection System in the nuclear industry.
Case Study Optimized Systems Cantata | PDF | 113 KB
30-40% productivity gains made by introducing Cantata on their G-92 product range of sophisticated security equipment.
Case Study Securicor Electronics | PDF | 121 KB
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Product Feature Briefs
Baseline Testing automatically creates complete Cantata passing unit tests from C source code by generating test case vectors that exercise all code paths, check data, parameters and call ordering.
Cantata Feature Brief-Baseline Testing | PDF | 301 KB
Cantata Makefiles use a set of makefiles to compile, link, deploy, execute and retrieve results for suites of Cantata tests, where these commands can be invoked from the command line.
Cantata Feature Brief-Cantata Makefiles | PDF | 177 KB
How to take existing open source test scripts implemented in C/C++ (such as CppUnit and CxxTest), generically known as xUnit and re-use and embed them inside Cantata tests.
Cantata Feature Brief-Embedded x Unit Tests | PDF | 189 KB
Cantata has set of capabilities specifically useful for testing C++ code. This document details of how Cantata can be used to test templates, inheritance, abstract base classes and exceptions.
Cantata Feature Brief-Testing CPlus Plus | PDF | 200 KB
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Sector Briefs
Cantata solutions for the Space industry, focusing on using the tool to meet PSS-05-0 / ECSS E-40 / GSWS standards
Cantata Space Sector Brief | PDF | 203 KB
QA Systems Testing Products solutions for the civil avionics industry, focusing on using the tools to meet DO-178B / ED-12B
Civil Avionics Sector Brief | PDF | 246 KB
QA Systems Testing Products solutions for the military avionics industry, focusing on using the tools to meet DO-178B / ED-12B / Mil-Std-498 / Def-Stan 00-55
Military Avionics Sector Brief | PDF | 235 KB
QA Systems Testing Products solutions for the defence sector, focusing on using the tools to meet Mil-Std-498 / Def-Stan 00-55
Defence Sector Brief | PDF | 234 KB
QA Systems Testing Products solutions for the railways sector, focusing on using the tools to meet CENELEC PR-EN50128
Railway Sector Brief | PDF | 200 KB
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Management Papers
This paper describes the testing activities carried out by IPL in the implementation of a system to the safety standards mandated by IEC 61508.
Software Testing and IEW61508-Project Case Study | PDF | 126 KB
This paper addresses the question of ‘Return on Investment’ in testing tools. It looks at the subject from two perspectives: the tangible and the intangible.
Software testing Tools ROI | PDF | 52 KB
This paper provides an introduction to software testing. It is a useful tutorial for developers who are new to formal testing of software, and as a reminder of some finer points for experienced testers.
An Introduction to Software Testing | PDF | 54 KB
This paper outlines a number of commonly used software development lifecycle models, with particular emphasis on the testing activities involved in each model.
Software Testing and Software Dev Lifecycles | PDF | 52 KB
This paper addresses this question which is often posed by developers who are new to the concept of thorough testing.
Why bother to Unit Test | PDF | 50 KB
This paper describes three organisational approaches for unit testing: top down, bottom up and isolation.
Organisational Approaches Unit Testing | PDF | 107 KB
This paper provides a general process for developing unit test specifications and then describes some specific design techniques for designing unit test cases.
Designing Unit Test Cases | PDF | 104 KB
This paper discusses the issues involved in host-target testing, and shows how QA Systems Testing Tools can be used to implement an effective host-target testing strategy
Host Target Testing | PDF | 484 KB
This paper provides a discussion of structural test coverage metrics, looking at the practicality of their use for real software developments.
Structual Coverage Metrics | PDF | 119 KB
This paper presents object-oriented context coverage as a way to measure coverage for object-oriented systems.
Advances Context Sensitive | PDF | 108 KB
This paper discusses the problems associated with testing C++ and outlines an approach to the verification of C++ code.
A Strategy for Testing CPlus Plus | PDF | 145 KB
This paper describes how AdaTEST and Cantata can be used to test software which implements state machines.
Testing State Machine Ada TEST Cantata | PDF | 78 KB
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Technical & Other Papers
This paper explores an alternative to traditional testing techniques that can be applied to when testing Object Oriented software.
Its testing Jim but not as we know it | PDF | 86 KB
It is theoretically possible to test any design. In practice, the cost and efficiency of testing “un-testable” software can be prohibitive. This paper provides guidelines for designing testable Ada.
Designing Testable Ada | PDF | 64 KB
This paper discusses the testability of safety related systems developed in Ada95, and describes techniques which can be used to improve the likelihood of achieving testing success.
Testing Techniques Ada95 | PDF | 96 KB
For a description of the use of AdaTEST on a DO-178B project, see: Testing Safety-Critical Software with AdaTEST , by Thomas Østerlie and Ståle Dahl.
Introduction Safety Critical Systems | PDF | 100 KB
For a description of some experiences of introducing Cantata into aerospace systems work, please see the paper “Measuring the Efficiency of Introducing a Systematic Tool Based Testing Process” written by IAI engineers, and presented at the EuroSTAR conference in November 1999.
Measuring Efficiency Introduction | PDF | 449 KB

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