Real-Time Electronic Engine Control (EEC) Microprocessor Software Productivity

According to IEEE Standard 729-1983, the “software life-cycle” may be defined as “the period of time that starts when a software product is conceived and ends when the product is no longer available for use [1].” The software engineering methodology and life-cycle have been tailored for vehicle control applications at Ford Motor Company. The purpose of this paper is to outline the process that achieves high productivity to accommodate an ever increasing software design and release task.

Ford Motor Company's electronic engine control (EEC) microprocessor software design productivity has been substantial over the past 6 years. The actual amount of memory that can be managed in production per unit staff has now increased by two orders of magnitude. This paper describes the forward model operation to realize the software productivity phenomenon.