Draft Details

1.1 General

1.1.1 Software

This Standard addresses quality assurance requirements for software used as tools in design, safety analysis, and supporting activities.

1.1.2 High energy reactor

This Standard specifies the requirements for the quality assurance program applicable to the design, development, maintenance, modification, acquisition, and use of analytical, scientific, and design computer programs that are used in high energy reactor applications.

Note: High energy reactor is as defined in Clause 7.1 of CSA N286.

Such computer programs are used by or for the business to perform or support

design and analysis of equipment, systems, structures, and components that impact safety, as identified by management;

deterministic and probabilistic safety analyses and operational reliability studies;

reactor physics and fuel management calculations; and

transfer of data between computer programs or pre- or post-processing calculations associated with Items a), b), and c) of Clause 1.1.2.

1.1.3 Quality assurance software

The quality assurance requirements for software used to perform or support the activities are described in this Standard. This Standard recognizes that the scope has two parts and has been organized to reflect this:

design, development, and maintenance of software; and

acquisition, qualification, control, and use of software.

1.2 Software used by or for business

This Standard applies to software used by or for business as described in Clause 1.1.2, including the following:

in-house developed computer programs (i.e., software developed within the business);

third-party computer programs (i.e., software developed by a supplier);

legacy software; and

programmed applications (e.g., scripts, macros, and spreadsheet-based analysis) written within software normally excluded from this Standard.

1.3 Computer programs and software excluded from this Standard

This Standard does not apply to computer programs such as

those used to control plant safety systems and operational control systems;

Note: See CSA N290.14 for examples of safety and operational control systems.

embedded software contained within items, where the software is qualified along with the item as a unit (e.g., measurement and test equipment);

software used to collect or present design inputs (e.g., data acquisition systems and computer-aided design programs);

business software (e.g., work management, productivity tools, commercially available databases, and spreadsheet programs);

software used to manage information (e.g., records management software);

commercially available compilers, interpreters, and operating systems; and

commercially available mathematical routine libraries.

1.4 Simple software

Simple software may be excluded from the requirements of this Standard with the exception of Clause 12.1 on general requirements for selection of use.

1.5 Interpretation and application of results

Interpretation or application of computer program results in design and analysis activities is outside the scope of this Standard.

1.6 Graded manner

All of the requirements of this Standard may be applied in a graded manner commensurate with risk as permitted by Clause 4 of CSA N286.

1.7 Terminology

In this Standard, “shall” is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the Standard; “should” is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and “may” is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the Standard.

Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material.

Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.

Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (nonmandatory) to define their application.