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If you missed an issue of VectorCAST Directions, you can view past issues by visitng our Newsletter Archive.

Check our list of events for opportunities to meet with us at conferences, seminars, technology and industry events.

November 1, 2011
MATLAB
Gloucestershire, UK

November 29, 2011
Medelec
Warwickshire, UK

December 8, 2011
RTECC
Phoenix, AZ

Welcome to the 2011 Fall edition of VectorCAST Directions!

Welcome to this edition of VectorCAST Directions!

Fall here in New England is a time of beauty, enhanced by vibrant colors and the return of crisp autumn air. It is my favorite time of the year! This time of year, many New Englanders look forward to what is commonly known as Indian Summer- a period normally associated with late-October where the temperatures are slightly above normal for this time of year.

We recently shared a booth at ECS Boston with our MathWorks friends. We had a number of people stop by our booth. See the Automated software Testing blog for pictures from the event. MathWorks and Vector Software will also be at the MATLAB and Simulink Conference in South Gloucestershire on November 1.

Last month we announced the release of VectorCAST 5.3. This latest release of VectorCAST includes multiple new features and is designed specifically to enhance overall productivity for developers and managers. This latest release of VectorCAST features a significant redesign to VectorCAST/Requirements Gateway in addition to several new features and an expanded set of enhancements to existing functionality. If you missed our What's New in VectorCAST 5.3 webinar, you can watch the recording on our website www.vectorcast.com.

Lastly, we are very excited to announce the launch of TestResponsibly.com! Test Responsibly™ is a series of short videos demonstrating real world embedded testing activities using VectorCAST. Viewers can request videos on specific test scenarios. You can learn more on our website at www.vectorcast.com/testresponsibly or www.testresponsibly.com.

VectorCAST 5.3 now available
The 5.3 release of VectorCAST features a significant redesign to VectorCAST/Requirements Gateway. Previous releases of VectorCAST/Requirements Gateway supported only IBM® Rational® DOORS®. The re-design allows the Requirements Gateway tool the ability to capture and manage requirements from any management tool. In addition, VectorCAST 5.3 includes several new features and an expanded set of enhancements to existing functionality .
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Sirona Dental Systems speeds IEC 62304 compliance using VectorCAST embedded software testing platform
World leader in dental technologies utilizes Vector Software solutions to shorten development times, reduce costs, and ensure compliance
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DuraHeart™ manufacturer Terumo Heart selects VectorCAST for embedded software testing
Leading developer of medical devices standardizes on the Vector Software platform to ensure improvements in embedded software quality and reduced risk
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Vector Software Expands Support for IAR Systems Embedded Workbench
Latest VectorCAST integration provides enhanced testing support for safety critical software applications
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Green Hills and Vector Software share a long history together providing integrated development solutions for safety and mission critical embedded systems.

Founded in 1982, Green Hills Software is the technology leader in high performance compilers for Ada/C/C++, static source code analysis, software development tools and real-time operating systems. The INTEGRITY RTOS is used in systems that require maximum reliability and absolute security. INTEGRITY-178B is deployed in dozens of aircraft systems that have achieved DO-178B Level A certifications. INTEGRITY also holds an IEC 61508 Safety Integrity Level 3 certification - the highest level achievable for a standalone software component - and is used in safety critical industrial, railway, automotive and medical systems. The INTEGRITY-178B operating system is the most secure operating system technology in the world having been certified by the NSA-managed NIAP lab to EAL6+ High Robustness. No other commercial operating system has attained his level of security.

The complete line of Vector products is fully integrated with MULTI, AdaMULTI, INTEGRITY, and INTEGRITY-178B. Dozens of customers have used Green Hills Software products together with Vector Software products to produce the most reliable, safe, and secure embedded systems in the world.

Sirona Dental Systems
Serving dealers and dentists worldwide for over 130 years, Sirona Dental Systems is the world leader in digital dentistry and dental technology. Sirona develops, manufactures, and markets a complete line of dental products including, CAD/CAM restoration systems (CEREC), digital intra-oral, panoramic and 3D imaging systems, dental treatment centers, and hand-pieces. Sirona products represent the cutting-edge of modern dental treatment, research, and development.

In order to meet IEC 62304 software development requirements and shorten development time on their GALILEOS 3D Digital Imaging Systems, Sirona Dental needed a tool that allowed developers to automate much of the key activities associated with the testing of its embedded software. After an exhaustive assessment where a number of potential software tools were evaluated, Sirona selected VectorCAST. Their selection was based on very specific criteria which included the vendor's experience in safety-critical embedded software testing and the ease in which the solution could be integrated into Sirona's IEC 62304 development process.
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Q1 - Can VectorCAST stub functions without a prototype? By default, VectorCAST will not stub functions that lack a valid prototype... (read more)

Q2 - Is it possible for me to customize the "Execute Command" option to do a complex series of actions? Yes. When you execute a test in VectorCAST/C++, VectorCAST will take the command.. (read more)

Q3 - How do I create an environment that does not use floating point? In VectorCAST/C++, go to Tools-> Options-> C/C++.. (read more)

Q4 - I am not getting a coverage data file after I run the instrumented executable. Why? I'm using VxWorks. Some operating systems (non-POSIx, like vxWorks) do not close file pointers when exiting an executable..... (read more)