In today’s complex landscape of embedded software systems, the robust integration testing need is more critical than ever. This bachelor’s thesis project delves into the integration testing of an articulated hauler dumping system for Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE). The study focuses on the architecture, functional and safety requirements and overall performance of the system. The complexity of modern construction machinery, driven by sophisticated Electronic Control Units (ECUs), demands precise coordination and flawless operation. Inaccuracies or failures in integrated ECUs can result in operational inefficiencies, safety risks, and substantial downtime costs. This paper offers valuable insights into a systematic approach designed to tackle these challenges head-on within the domain of articulated hauler dumping systems. Our exploration comprehensiveness employed diverse testing methodologies, encompassing scenario-based, boundary and stress testing, integration testing, and user interaction testing. This multifaceted approach enabled a thorough understanding of the system’s behavior, reliability, and responsiveness. The research aims to clarify the importance of comprehensive integration testing and its role in ensuring optimal performance, safety, and complex embedded systems efficiency. This study is a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and professionals navigating the complexities of embedded systems integration, offering actionable insights and strategies for achieving robustness and reliability in intricate machinery operations.

<p> Object-oriented programs have many unique features that are not present in conventional programs, such as Inheritance, Polymorphism, Dynamic binding and Encapsulation, etc. Hence, testing object-oriented programs using only traditional techniques is unlikely to find the faults associated with these features. A study shows that approximately 40% of software errors can be traced to component interaction problems discovered during integration. Integration testing is an important part of the testing process. However, few integration testing techniques have been systematically studied or defined.</p> <p> The goal of this research is to develop an approach for automatic test case execution at the integration level. The approach is based on the concept of Coordination Contract, which was developed by J. Fiadeiro and L. Andrade. A coordination contract is a connection between a group of objects. Through contracts, rules and constraints are superposed on the behavior of the participants without interfering with their implementation. Due to the contract's character, integration test case execution and test result evaluation are suitably implemented by contracts. A tool has been developed to automatically generate the relevant contracts to implement integration test cases generated by some mechanism for test case generation.</p> <p> In recent years, more and more software developers use the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and corresponding visual modeling tools to design and develop their application software. So we are using UML sequence diagrams and class diagrams as integration testing specifications. Actually, there are few practical tools to generate test cases from UML, and even fewer tools to execute test cases. Therefore, the result of this research will play an important role in testing object-oriented programs at the integration level. Our accomplishment makes some progress in the integration testing for object-oriented programs.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Yes / Computational theory and practice generally focus on single-paradigm systems, but relatively little is known about how best to combine components based on radically different approaches (e.g. silicon chips and wetware) into a single coherent system. In particular, while testing strategies for single-technology artefacts are generally well developed, it is unclear at present how to perform integration testing on heterotic systems: can we develop a test-set generation strategy for checking whether specified behaviours emerge (and unwanted behaviours do not) when components based on radically different technologies are combined within a single system? In this paper, we describe an approach to modelling multi-technology heterotic systems using a general-purpose formal specification strategy based on Eilenberg's X-machine model of computation. We show how this approach can be used to represent disparate technologies within a single framework, and propose a strategy for using these formal models for automatic heterotic test-set generation. We illustrate our approach by showing how to derive a test set for a heterotic system combining an X-machine-based device with a cell-based P system (membrane system).

M.S.

In this dissertation, we propose two fault simulators, called HOPE and HOPE2, and an autolllatic test pattern generator (ATPG), called ATHENA, for synchronous and asynchronous sequential circuits. HOPE is a parallel fault simulator for synchronous sequential circuits. In HOPE, a packet of 32 faults is simulated in parallel. Several new heuristics are employed in HOPE to accelerate the parallel fault simulation. The heuristics are 1) a reduction of faults to be simulated in parallel, 2) a new fault injection method called functional fault injection, and J) a combination of static and dynamic fault ordering methods. According to our experiments, HOPE is about 2.2 times, on the average, faster than a competing fault simulator, called PROOFS (1]--[2]. for 16 ISCAS89 benchmark circuits [3]. HOPE2 and ATHENA are a fault simulator and an A TPG for asynchronous sequential circuits, respectively. The key idea employed in HOPE2 and ATHENA is 10 transform an asynchronous sequential circuit into a synchronous sequential circuit through remodeling memory elements. We proposed various modeling techniques which transform any asynchronous sequential circuit into a synChronous sequential circuit. Once an asyncllfonous circuit is transformed into a synchronous circuit, various techniques developed for synchronous sequential circuits are employed in HOPE2 and ATHENA. HOPE2 employs the parallel simulation techniques of HOPE. ATHENA employs the back algorithm [4] for test generation, and the parallel fault simulation teChnique for fault simulation. HOPE2 and ATHENA can manage industrial circuits consisting of latches, flip-flops with set/reset, tristate gates, BUS elements, bi-directional I/O pins, mutiplexers, ROMs and RAMs. OUf experimental results on various industrial circuits show that HOPE2 is about two times faster than a commercial fault simulator, the Verifault fault simulator of Cadence, while requiring much smaller memory size. ATHENA also shows high performance for various industrial circuits. / Ph. D.

A formal behavioral test generation algorithm, called the B-algorithm, is presented together with a behavioral VHDL model and a realistic behavioral fault model. Using the behavioral VHDL model, a behavioral VHDL circuit description is represented as a set of equivalent process Statements and connections among them. The behavioral fault model consists of three types of behavioral faults (behavioral stuck-at faults, behavioral stuck-open faults, and micro-operation faults) which well represent faulty behaviors of a digital circuit. The behavioral VHDL model and the behavioral fault model improve the efficiency of test generation by reducing the size of the domain searched during the test generation procedure. The B-algorithm generates tests directly from behavioral VHDL circuit descriptions using three basic test generation operations (activation, propagation, and justification), which are systematically executed by manipulating three data structures (B-frontier, J-frontier, and A-queue). Rules for the test generation operations are formally defined using the concepts of two-phase activation and two-phase propagation. The difference between simulation semantics and test generation semantics is discussed, and a method of efficiently assigning time periods without being affected by simulation semantics is proposed. A method of handling bus resolution functions, reconvergent fanout, and feedback loops during test generation is discussed. Two-phase testing, a testing strategy where a fault is detected using two consecutive test sequences, is introduced and 1s formally incorporated into the B-algorithm. / Ph. D.

As advances in very large scale integration (VLSI) technology lead to higher levels of circuit integration and new design styles and fabrication processes, traditional test generation techniques fail to adequately address the problems of how to (l) accurately represent the structure of design styles and physical faults, and (2) manage the high computational costs and memory resource requirements caused by the complexity of VLSI. This research investigates a modular, hierarchical approach to test generation for combinational complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits that effectively deals with these issues. Circuits are modeled using multi-level descriptions to handle large circuit sizes while maintaining an effective balance between accuracy and complexity. Object-oriented analysis and design techniques are used in the development of a hierarchical test generation application implemented using C++. In doing this, the primary objectives were to produce a easily maintainable system, provide an extensible framework for test generation supporting the straightforward incorporation of new types of circuit primitives and faults, and retain the same level of computational efficiency that can be achieved using a procedural language such as C. Characteristics of the object-oriented hierarchical test generation application, such as expandability and run-time efficiency, are compared to those of a standard gate-level test generation program implemented using C and a procedural design approach. / Ph. D.

Delay fault testing of high speed VLSI circuits is becoming increasingly important. This thesis presents an Automatic Test Pattern Generator (ATPG), called TENOR, for transition faults. Transition faults are a special case of gate delay faults. Test generation is based on the FAN algorithm. The approach taken in this thesis is to map a transition fault into two stuck-at faults, and then generate test patterns for the stuck-at faults. A fault simulator, based on parallel pattern single fault propagation, was also developed. The problem of generating both non-robust and robust tests has been addressed. Experimental results indicate that TENOR is one of the fastest ATPGs among similar previous works, with comparable fault coverage. Experiments were also done to determine the effectiveness of stuck-at test sets and random test patterns in detecting transition faults. / Master of Science

Durante o processo de desenvolvimento de software a atividade de teste pode contribuir com a melhoria de qualidade, produtividade e redução de custos, por meio da aplicação de técnicas e critérios de teste. Esses instrumentos viabilizam a detecção de defeitos, minimizando a quantidade de falhas no produto final. Durante o desenvolvimento de sistemas robóticos móveis, técnicas VST (Virtual Simulation Tools/Technology) são enormemente utilizadas. Apesar dos testes usando simulação serem eficientes em alguns casos, eles não permitem uma sistematização da atividade de teste com relação à cobertura de código. Este projeto de doutorado contribui nessa direção, explorando essa lacuna e propondo uma abordagem de teste de integração híbrida, composta por teste funcional e estrutural, a qual explora defeitos relacionados à comunicação entre os processos do sistema robótico. Este estudo foi conduzido com base em conceitos explorados no teste de programas concorrentes, dado que os sistemas robóticos podem apresentar problemas similares aos encontrados nos programas concorrentes, como não determinismo, diferentes possibilidades de comunicação, entre outros. Durante o trabalho foi definida uma abordagem de teste de integração e critérios de cobertura aplicados a sistemas robóticos. Os estudos exploratórios conduzidos indicaram que a abordagem proposta é aplicável e pode contribuir para revelar defeitos não explorados pela simulação e técnicas de teste utilizadas anteriormente. / During the software development process the test activity contributes in terms of increased software quality, team productivity and cost reduction by application of techniques and test criteria. These mechanisms allow the defects detection, reducing the failures in the final product. In a robotic systems development context, VST techniques (Virtual Simulation Tools/Technology) are widely used. Although these approaches be efficient, in some cases they not allow great systematization of the test activity including code coverage analysis. This project explores this gap and proposes an approach for integration testing applied to robotic embedded systems, composed of functional and structural testing, looking for defects mainly related to the communication among processes of these systems. This study was initially conducted by mapping coverage criteria, defined for concurrent programs testing and exploring problems related to non-determinism, communication, and other undesired situations. During the project we defined an approach of integration testing and coverage criteria for mobile robotic systems. The exploratory case studies indicate that the proposed approach is applicable and can contributes to reveal defects not found using simulations or traditional testing of mobile robotic systems.

Durante o processo de desenvolvimento de software a atividade de teste pode contribuir com a melhoria de qualidade, produtividade e redução de custos, por meio da aplicação de técnicas e critérios de teste. Esses instrumentos viabilizam a detecção de defeitos, minimizando a quantidade de falhas no produto final. Durante o desenvolvimento de sistemas robóticos móveis, técnicas VST (Virtual Simulation Tools/Technology) são enormemente utilizadas. Apesar dos testes usando simulação serem eficientes em alguns casos, eles não permitem uma sistematização da atividade de teste com relação à cobertura de código. Este projeto de doutorado contribui nessa direção, explorando essa lacuna e propondo uma abordagem de teste de integração híbrida, composta por teste funcional e estrutural, a qual explora defeitos relacionados à comunicação entre os processos do sistema robótico. Este estudo foi conduzido com base em conceitos explorados no teste de programas concorrentes, dado que os sistemas robóticos podem apresentar problemas similares aos encontrados nos programas concorrentes, como não determinismo, diferentes possibilidades de comunicação, entre outros. Durante o trabalho foi definida uma abordagem de teste de integração e critérios de cobertura aplicados a sistemas robóticos. Os estudos exploratórios conduzidos indicaram que a abordagem proposta é aplicável e pode contribuir para revelar defeitos não explorados pela simulação e técnicas de teste utilizadas anteriormente. / During the software development process the test activity contributes in terms of increased software quality, team productivity and cost reduction by application of techniques and test criteria. These mechanisms allow the defects detection, reducing the failures in the final product. In a robotic systems development context, VST techniques (Virtual Simulation Tools/Technology) are widely used. Although these approaches be efficient, in some cases they not allow great systematization of the test activity including code coverage analysis. This project explores this gap and proposes an approach for integration testing applied to robotic embedded systems, composed of functional and structural testing, looking for defects mainly related to the communication among processes of these systems. This study was initially conducted by mapping coverage criteria, defined for concurrent programs testing and exploring problems related to non-determinism, communication, and other undesired situations. During the project we defined an approach of integration testing and coverage criteria for mobile robotic systems. The exploratory case studies indicate that the proposed approach is applicable and can contributes to reveal defects not found using simulations or traditional testing of mobile robotic systems.