Logical analysis and contradiction detection in high-level requirements during the review process using sat-solver

Abstract

DO-178C stands out as a guiding standard for aviation system development processes. This standard not only mandates ensuring the consistency of requirements in the software verification process but also recognizes it as a mandatory element. The main objective of this study is to introduce a method for analyzing and identifying inconsistencies between high-level requirements using information obtained from a data dictionary. This method aims to transform high-level requirements into logical expressions and then thoroughly examine them using a SAT Solver to detect inconsistencies. While methods focused on identifying inconsistencies among requirements often appear in the literature, this study presents a novel approach to detect contradictions between non-natural language, systematically structured, and language-independent requirements. The goal of this approach is to significantly reduce the review time of high-level requirements in the software verification process. Evaluations indicate that the use of this method results in substantial time savings in the inconsistency detection process.