Understanding the Complexity of the Software in a Secure Sensor

Complex sensor platforms are used in safeguards applications to provide re- liable identication and monitoring of items of interest. The complexity of the software that controls a sensor platform is rarely understood by non pro- grammers. Unfortunately, this lack of comprehension leads to misjudgments regarding the relative complexity and therefore the amount of eort required in developing a new system or modifying an existing system. This paper will explore general areas in which software complexity lurks and describe in a concise and easy to understand manner the eects of this complexity on the process involved in designing and implementing a sensor platform. This paper will also attempt to associate certain types of requirements and their contributions to the overall amount of eort required to implement a system. The result of this work should assist non programmers in carefully considering their requirements and help them gain insight into the potential pitfalls associated with their implementatio