A static microcode analysis tool for programmable load drivers

Abstract

The advances in control electronics, with the introduction of programmable load drivers, have changed the way in which actuators, both resistive and inductive, such as electrical motors, injectors, valves, are controlled. However, usually the only programming language available for these drivers is the native assembly-like microcode that, allowing for unstructured programing constructs, exposes to the risk of dangerous control flow paths, like infinite loops or jumps to non-existent locations. In this paper an automatic static analyzer is presented, which reconstruct the control flow graph of an application from the microcode source file and checks for infinite loops and undefined jumps caused by the corresponding jump register not being set for a particular path.