A suggestion for analysis of unexpected obstacles in embedded system

In order to improve the quality of embedded software by finding obstacles unanticipated by software specifications, this paper describes a requirement analysis method based on an Information Flow Diagram and experiments using this method, with discussion. Recently, embedded software has become more large-scale and complicated while the development cycle of the software has typically been shortened. This industry trend compromises the quality of embedded software. In order to improve the quality of the software, unexpected obstacles must be carefully analyzed in the specification and design phases. We propose a diagram-based analysis method to answer this need, and have performed an experiment using the analysis method with an actual product. The results of the experiment made it clear that 1) Novice engineers can construct an Information Flow Diagram under the lead of expert engineers; and 2) The methods by which experts lead novice engineers in the analysis of unexpected obstacles require further refinement.