Helix QAC: Best Static Code Analyzer for Functional Safety and Standards Compliance
For over 30 years, Helix QAC has been the trusted static code analyzer for C and C++ programming languages. With its depth and accuracy of analysis, Helix QAC has been the preferred static code analyzer in tightly regulated and safety-critical industries that need to meet rigorous compliance requirements. Often, this involves verifying compliance with coding standards — such as MISRA and AUTOSAR — and functional safety standards, such as ISO 26262.
Helix QAC is certified for functional safety compliance by TÜV-SÜD, including IEC 61508, ISO 26262, EN 50128, IEC 60880, and IEC 62304. In addition, it is also certified in ISO 9001 | TickIT plus Foundation Level, which is one of the most widely adopted standards to ensure that your requirements are not only met but exceeded as well.
Compliance
Safe, Secure, & Reliable Code
Higher Code Quality
Faster Releases
Helix QAC Key Features
Risk Prioritization
Prioritize coding issues based on the severity of risk. Helix QAC helps you to target the most critical defects using filters, suppressions, and baselines. It delivers accurate diagnostics and actionable results — enabling you to fix the most important issues first.
Analysis Dashboard
The Helix QAC dashboard is a centralized store of analysis results, accessed through a web browser. Results are uploaded to the dashboard as ‘snapshots’. Customized views and reports mean that project code quality and compliance metrics can be monitored over time.
The Helix QAC dashboard is fully customizable, enabling you to tailor its rows and columns to more adequately meet your team’s and project’s needs. By using the dashboard, you can:
• Review the entirety of the code by project and section.
• Identify issues and deviations.
• Review project updates and notifications.
• Assign rule configurations (such as MISRA, AUTOSAR, and CERT).
• Verify how compliant the code is with coding standards and industry best practices.
• Measure overall code quality.
• Monitor developing trends with customizable reports.
Development Toolset Integration
Integrate static code analysis with the rest of your development toolset. Helix QAC supports most compilers. And, you can integrate it with many development tools — including IDES (such as Microsoft Visual Studio), version control systems (such as Helix Core), and continuous integration build servers (such as Jenkins).
Safety Standards |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety standards help to ensure that the software powered by your code is reliable and functionally safe. (Note: The complete set of safety standards may not be available with older versions of Helix QAC.) | |||
| MISRA C 2004 | ✔ | ||
| MISRA C 2012 | ✔ | ||
| MISRA C 2012 AMD 1 | ✔ | ||
| MISRA C 2012 AMD 2 | ✔ | ||
| MISRA C++ 2008 | ✔ | ||
| AUTOSAR C++14 | ✔ | ||
| JSF AV C++ | ✔ |
Security Standards | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secure coding standards help to safeguard your code from potential cyberthreats and other coding vulnerabilities. (Note: The complete set of security standards may not be available with older versions of Helix QAC.) | |||
| CERT | ✔ | ✔ | |
| CWE | ✔ | ✔ | |
| CWE Top 25 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| ISO/IEC TS 17961 (C secure) | ✔ |
Quality Standards | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality standards help to ensure that your code is reliable and free of errors. (Note: The complete set of quality standards may not be available with older versions of Helix QAC.) | |||
| High Integrity C++ (HIC++) | ✔ |
Custom Standards & Compliance Modules | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
You can create and customize your own rules, project/business coding standards, or compliance modules for C or C++. Perforce can create a custom compliance module that meets the unique needs of your project/business. Find out more here. | |||
| Create Your Own Standard | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Create Your Own Rules | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Custom Compliance Module | ✔ | ✔ |
Who Uses Helix QAC?
Certified for ISO, IEC, and EN Compliance
Helix QAC is independently certified for compliance. Helix QAC was developed by Programming Research/PRQA, which is now part of Perforce.
TÜV-SÜD Certified
Helix QAC is TÜV-SÜD certified for compliance with key functional safety standards:
- ISO 26262 (automotive) up to ASIL level D.
- IEC 61508 (general industrial) up to SIL 4.
- EN 50128 (railways) up to SW-SIL 4.
- IEC 62304 (medical devices) up to Software Safety Class C.
- IEC 60880 (nuclear power).
ISO 9001 | TickIT plus Foundation Level Certified
Helix QAC is also certified in ISO 9001 | TickIT plus Foundation Level.
ISO 9001 is one of the most widely adopted standards. It ensures that organizations are striving to meet and exceed customers’ requirements and satisfaction through continuous improvement.
Additional Resources
