An Operational Quality Model of Embedded Software Aligned with ISO 25000

Abstract

Embedded systems omnipresent in everyday life and industry are mainly composed of hardware and software that must comply with a number of standards and regulations. However, there is no consensus on the quality characteristics and sub-characteristics of embedded software. This paper presents the steps for modeling an operational quality model for embedded software aligned with the ISO 25000 series of quality models for traditional computer systems. From a literature review composed of 40 studies on quality modeling for embedded systems and software, 85 of the most frequent quality characteristics and sub-characteristics were first identified, including a subset of 16 referenced or cited in at least 25% of the literature. Next, the design of a quality model for embedded software aligned with the ISO 25000 series was proposed with 13 characteristics and 27 sub-characteristics. The operational aspect of this quality model for embedded software is addressed next through a set of measures and measurement functions from ISO 25000 to aggregate the results of the quantification of the characteristics and sub-characteristics. A survey involving 25 embedded software specialists is presented next to gauge, using Fleiss’ Kappa criteria, their agreement with the proposed quality model. Furthermore, the computed importance weights derived from the survey participants’ individual opinions were compared with those derived from an analysis of 40 embedded software studies, bolstering the credibility of the model. The results of this study suggest that the proposed quality model can serve as a framework for evaluating and understanding the quality characteristics across diverse expertise levels. Furthermore, the convergence between the survey and the literature strengthens the model's credibility by anchoring it in both established literature and practitioners’ agreements.