RU2783906C1 - Complex for testing embedded software of electronic devices - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: software testing.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to software testing complexes for electronic devices. The effect is achieved by the fact that the complex includes a software part consisting of the main control program, which is the environment for writing and executing test scripts, a dispatch server that interacts with the software part of the complex with the hardware, dynamically connected models of input/output actions and functional models implemented in in the form of independent programs that can be run, including on different computers, with their own means of visualizing and representing the state of their internal data of entities and called by the main control program or as independent software models, as well as a hardware consisting of hardware modules that have a single interface for interaction with the dispatching server and implementing various instrument interfaces.

EFFECT: increasing the efficiency, completeness, quality of embedded software testing, reducing the development and preparation of the complex and software models.

1 cl, 1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to computer technology, namely to software systems for testing software (software) of electronic devices (ED).

Known utility model "Hardware and software complex for automation, control, visualization and monitoring of technological processes" (utility model patent RU No. 90588). The hardware-software complex for automation, control, visualization and monitoring of technological processes contains workstations, automated workstations (AWPs) and servers based on personal electronic computers (PCs) connected via a local area network (LAN), as well as control systems connected by a data transmission system. device and functional modules designed to provide process control based on a software package and for physical impact on the inputs of process control devices, taking readings from process control sensors and transmitting information about the state of inputs / outputs of control devices. It has a centralized decision-making architecture that contains the main control device and its subordinate functional modules based on industrial microcontrollers, combined through an instrument interface, and is equipped with a software unit for visualizing the parameters of technological processes.

In this utility model, the complex is based on hardware components that cannot always be easily and quickly modified, and the presence of a physical connection between functional modules limits the possibilities for their interaction, i.e. there is no possibility of expanding the functions of their interaction in the event of new requirements for such a complex.

The invention "Method and system for automating software testing" (application RU No. 2013126869 A) is known, which consists in the fact that the software test automation system includes at least one device of the user and / or tester, at least one database , at least one test database and a hardware-software complex, made with the ability to: test software according to the developed test plans through interactive interaction of the tester with the user interface of the software under test, record the specified user actions in automatic mode in predetermined terms of the business level logic of the software under test, storing the results in the test database as test scripts, records the changes in the database made when the specified test scripts are executed, automatically in predetermined terms, assigning these changes to the sign "Reference changes" and saving the results in the test database, after changing the software, carrying out its regression testing, playing test scenarios from the test database in automatic mode, recording changes in the database made when executing the specified test scenarios in automatic mode in predetermined terms, assigning the attribute "Actual changes" to these changes and saving the results in the test database, performing verification for each test scenario, comparing "Reference changes" and "Actual changes" and saving the results of the comparison in the test database, forming a list of test scenarios that have not passed verification , while changes that have not passed verification mean discrepancies between "Reference changes" and "Actual changes" and is additionally made with the ability to: identify the main business processes performed using the software under test, draw up a detailed test plan testing the identified business processes, fixing the options for interactive interaction of the tester with the user interface of the software under test.

In this invention, the disadvantage is the lack of a visualization tool for operational and flexible control of the state of modeling tools, data and entities.

The closest to the proposed technical essence is the invention "Complex for automation and visualization of testing the embedded software of electronic devices" (patent RU 2678717 C9), which consists in the fact that the software package is made with the ability to test software, compose test scripts and save them in database as a reference, forming a test base, obtaining actual values, comparing reference and actual values and with the ability to identify the main business processes performed using the software under test, drawing up a detailed plan for testing the identified business processes, fixing options for interactive user interaction with user interface of the software under test, including a single software environment for writing and executing tests, containing tools for writing, editing and executing tests, automated analysis and processing information, visualizing data and entities during testing and at the stage of preparation for it, storing test sets and connecting them to the complex at any stage of testing, dynamic reconfiguration and management at any time by the software package and any components included in its composition, allocation of a common buffer for the interaction of connected models and their arbitrary reconfiguration, both in manual mode and during the execution of tests, protection and recovery of the complex in the presence of unforeseen failures during its operation, dynamically connected models of functional devices implemented as independent unified software modules with a predetermined unified set of methods and functions and means of visualizing and representing the state of their internal data of entities, developed according to the unified rules for constructing and implementing on the basis of a unified template and called from a unified software environment for writing and executing tests, a base data for storing data representations and entities, means for automatically filling the database with information based on the analysis of the documentation on which the software under test is developed.

The disadvantages of the prototype are:

- operation of the complex in the mode of semi-synchronous execution of the testing process and the computational process of the software under test, which does not allow for fully predictable interaction and ensure the accuracy of the impact on the computational process of the software under test;

- a single software environment for the core and functional unit models, which does not allow independent development of functional unit models;

- the presence of a buffer in random access memory (RAM) imposes additional requirements on the tester's and programmer's computers.

For the claimed invention, the following essential features in common with the prototype have been identified: the complex for testing the embedded software of the ED, which consists in the fact that the complex is made with the ability to test the firmware, compose test scripts and save them in the database as reference ones, form a test database, obtain actual values, which includes a software environment containing tools for writing, editing and executing tests, visualizing data and entities in the process of testing, storing test sets and connecting them to the complex at any stage of testing, dynamic reconfiguration and management at any time by the software package and its components, dynamically connected models of functional devices, a database for storing data and entity representations.

The technical problems of the present invention are:

- the impossibility of ensuring full synchronization of the testing process with the reaction of the tested firmware in real time, which boils down to testing that does not take into account all the features of the execution of the program under test and reduces the quality and completeness of testing;

- reduction of terms of development and preparation of the software complex and models of functional devices due to the separation of models of functional devices and the core of the software environment;

- improving the quality of embedded software testing by reducing the response time and fixing the response of the electronic device by control equipment.

The problems posed are solved by the fact that the complex includes a software part consisting of the main control program, which is the environment for writing and executing test scenarios, the dispatch server that interacts with the software part of the complex with the hardware, dynamically connected models of input / output actions and functional models implemented in in the form of independent programs that can be run, including on different computers, with their own means of visualizing and representing the state of their internal data of entities and called by the main control program or as independent software models, as well as a hardware consisting of hardware modules that have a single interface for interaction with the dispatching server and implementing various instrument interfaces.

The drawing FIG.1 shows a block diagram of the complex.

The complex is implemented as follows:

The embedded software testing complex consists of hardware and software. The software part consists of a database 2 for storing data representations and entities, a main control program 1, a server for storing tests and reports 3, dynamically connected models of input / output actions 4, functional models 5 and a dispatch server 6. The hardware part consists of hardware modules 7, panels for displaying the status of models / interfaces 8, debugging area 10 and directly the device under test 9.

Hardware modules 7 exchange between the dispatch server 6, which receives data from the main control program 1, models of input / output actions 4 and functional models 5 and the device under test 9. Also, hardware modules 7 display information on the status display panel of models / interfaces 8, in which can be a display with a VGA input. Hardware modules 7, together with functional models 5, simulate the operation of various interface modules in a mode as close as possible to real time. Each hardware module ensures the interaction of software models with the device under test 9 through at least one instrument interface. Each device interface contains a hardware controller that allows the implementation of data communication in accordance with the standards of the device interface.

Dispatch Server 6:

- transfers packets from the main control program 1, input/output models 4, functional models 5 to hardware modules 7;

- sends response packets from hardware modules 7 to input/output models 4, functional models 5 and main control program 1;

- monitors the atomicity of the connection to the hardware module during the testing of the electronic device.

Model/Interface Status Display Panel 8 displays the status of models and interfaces in real time.

Input/output models 4 and functional models 5 are implemented as independent programs with visualization and representation of the state of their internal data and entities and can be written in any programming language, such as Java, Python, MATLAB or C/C++. They can be either controlled by the main control program in real time at any stage of testing, or have the function of autonomous control and change their states, generate events and set them in the main control program. In addition, the main control program not only before testing, but also dynamically, i.e. directly in the process of testing, it can launch and connect new software models, reconfigure or shut down already connected software models and interact with all hardware modules through available software models.

Main control program 1, which:

- implemented as a single user interface;

- contains means for managing the storage of test sets and their connections to the complex at any stage of testing and providing interaction with the server for storing tests and reports 3;

- is a software environment containing tools for writing, editing and executing tests that provide configuration and testing parameters for the ED firmware;

- provides information exchange with models of input/output actions 4, functional models 5 and dispatch server 6, installation and processing of events and provision of synchronization.

Data transfer between the main control program 1, input/output models 4, functional models 5 and dispatch server 6 is carried out using packet data transfer and does not require the allocation of a separate common buffer in RAM.

Database 2 contains information, including the parameters of the complex, information necessary for the main control program 1. The database is implemented as a set of linked tables in accordance with a certain type of purpose and use, with reference to certain types of tested firmware.

Debug location 10 is used to debug the firmware of the device under test using breakpoints in case of detection of unplanned or incorrect program execution. It can also be used to reprogram the device under test and is an optional component of the circuit.

The complex works as follows:

DB 2 contains the basic information on the tested firmware of the electronic device.

The user starts the main control program 1. The main control program has two modes of operation "Editor" and "Execution". The operating mode is selected by the operator.

In the "Editor" mode, the user composes test sequences, edits them and saves them to the test storage server 3 in the directory formed for the tested firmware.

The Execute mode provides a tool for executing test cases. Before starting the execution of the test sequence, the main control program 1 connects the necessary models of input / output actions 4 and functional models 5 and sends them the required initial configuration settings. During real-time testing, it is possible to manage the internal state of data and model entities both from the main control program 1 and directly in the models.

The exchange of information between the main control program 1, software models 4 and 5 with the dispatch server 6 and the dispatch server 6 with hardware modules 7 is carried out using a single exchange protocol over a distributed network based on TCP / IP and UDP protocols. The presence of network interaction between the software components of the complex allows you to run software models on one or several computers at once.

Hardware modules 7 receive data packets from the dispatch server 6, analyze them and either store the data in their memory or interface registers, or send data read from the internal memory of the hardware module or interface registers. Further, depending on the received data, either transactions take place over the instrument interfaces between the hardware modules 7 and the device under test 9, or the data sent via the instrument interfaces is modified.

The main control program 1 and each program model 4 and 5 log information for the entire period of its operation (reception of commands, signals, sent and response packets, indicating the recipient and sender), which allows you to control at any stage what happened in each of the program models 4 and 5 and in the main control program 1. With the help of logging, the analysis of the state of the tested firmware during the test execution and the assessment of the functional coverage of the passed test are facilitated. Also, for all protocols, you can evaluate the effectiveness of test execution and, if necessary, change the network configuration or test scenario.

Models of input / output actions 4 and functional models 5 can work under the control of the main control program 1 or independently, as independent software models for additional development.

The testing visualization tools available to the user during the testing process are presented as a set of graphical support, which include: highlighting various types of operations, highlighting the progress of testing, highlighting operations that fail, highlighting certain information that has not passed control, etc.

Using this complex, testing of the software of the computing module of the control units of the onboard control complex, interface units of the onboard control complex and control units of the onboard relay complex of advanced spacecraft of ISS JSC was carried out.

Due to the implementation of this technical solution, the necessary technical result is achieved:

- reducing the time for development and preparation of the complex and software models is carried out by building the architecture of the complex in the form of a distributed network using a single protocol for interaction between software components, which allows you to develop individual software components in different programming languages (if necessary), carry out parallel development of several models and main control program. Also, when using different programming languages, the speed of prototyping individual models increases, or to increase the efficiency of using the model due to the features of the programming language;

- Increasing the efficiency and facilitating testing of embedded software is provided by visualizing the presentation of the data state of each model in the form of dialog boxes, displaying the general progress of testing and the state of data and entities in real time at any stage of test execution. The use of a suitable programming language for a specific task allows you to increase the speed of prototyping individual models, or increase the efficiency of using the model due to the features of the programming language;

- increasing the completeness of testing is achieved through the use of means for synchronizing the testing process;

- improving the quality of testing and reliability of the software under test is ensured by timely reaction and control by the complex to events from the software under test and dynamic impact on the computational process of the software under test with imitation of emergency situations to confirm its stability failure by transferring the function of receiving and transmitting packets for an electronic device directly into the hardware modules.

Claims (1)

Complex for testing the embedded software of electronic devices, made with the possibility of testing software, compiling test scenarios, saving them in the database as reference ones, forming a test database, obtaining actual values, which includes a software environment containing tools for writing, editing and executing tests , visualization of data and entities in the process of testing, storage of test sets and their connection to the complex at any stage of testing, dynamic reconfiguration and management at any time by the software package and its components, dynamically connected models of functional devices, a database for storing data representations and entities , which is characterized by the complex includes a software part consisting of the main control program, which is an environment for writing and executing test scripts, a dispatch server that interacts with the software part of the complex with the hardware, dynamically connected models of input / output actions and functional models implemented as independent programs that can be launched, including on different computers, with their own means of visualizing and presenting the state of their internal data of entities and called by the main control program or as independent software models, as well as a hardware part consisting of hardware modules that have a single interface for interacting with the dispatch server and implementing various instrument interfaces.

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