Training » Software Test: Structured and Efficient Embedded System Tests

Software Test:
Structured and Efficient Embedded System Tests

Training Objectives

Modern embedded systems with complex 16 and 32 bit microcontroller architectures incorporate more and more software which, however, has to be planned and implemented faster than ever. In many cases, requirements need to be met which are subject to standards and safety-critical aspects. Reusability, adjustability to changing frame conditions and readability are key factors. In this training, you will see how object oriented techniques help you create higher-quality software for embedded applications in a shorter time. You get a compact overview of the whole development process - software analysis, design, implementation and test, with a focus on software system design using UML and implementation in C++. Specific software quality requirements for embedded systems are another key issue, e.g. regarding runtime and code efficiency, as well as identifying and thus avoiding programming errors by using programming guidelines, such as offered by the MISRA C++ standard.

Required Knowledge

Basic knowledge of a higher-level programming language (e.g. C/C++) of advantage.

Target Group

Test engineers, test managers, software developers, software architects.

Motivation: The Significance of Software Test in Projects

Software Quality
- Software standards and quality features
- Software requirements analysis, test requirements analysis
- Test case related description of functional and non-functional requirements (QoS)

Test Planning, Test Plan
- Development of a test strategy (based on requirements, risk, quality, ...)
- Creating a test plan according to IEEE 829
- Test effort, test duration, test resources, test staff
- Defining the test target and test exit criteria
- Program analysis metrics (McCabe, Halstead, LoC, ...)
- Failure analysis, risk analysis

Test Specification
- Test requirements analysis and test case specification according to IEEE 829
- Determining test cases based on the defined strategy
- Describing test cases (graphical, formal, tabular or as text)
- Creating test scripts according to IEEE 829

Static Software Analysis
- Manual: review, inspection, walkthrough
- Automated with different tools

Whitebox Test at Module Level
- Program flow oriented testing
- Statement, branch, condition, MC/DC, path coverage
- Data flow oriented testing

Blackbox Test at Module and System Test Level
- Functionality, function point, requirements coverage
- Equivalence class partitioning, boundary value analysis
- Fault coverage (comparison with similar systems)
- Error guessing, random test, state transition test
- System behavior tests
- Retest, regression test

Integration Strategies and Integration Test
- Incremental, top down, bottom up, big bang
- Test target oriented, process oriented, function oriented strategy
- Hardest first
- Input, output, interface coverage
- Development of drivers and stubs

Test Automation
- Test automation definitions and concepts
- When is test automation useful?
- Types and selection of test tools
- Hardware-in-the-loop, HIL
- Software-in-the-loop, SIL

Cost-efficient Testing
- Test automation
- Design for test
- Model based testing

Test Analysis and Test Documentation
- Test analysis metrics
- Test exit criteria
- Test documentation according to IEEE 829
- Automated test analysis and test document creation

Exercises
- Fault analysis
- Code review (Fagan inspection)
- Programming a test driver in C
- Determining test data with CTE according to the classification tree method
- Blackbox and whitebox tests with Tessy or C++test
- Determining program complexity with the tools cccc, CMT++, C++test
- Information about further tools