Context. The share and importance of software within automotive vehicles is growing steadily. Most functionalities in modern vehicles, especially safety related functions like advanced emergency braking, are controlled by software. A complex and common phenomenon in today’s automotive vehicles is the distribution of such software functions across several Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and consequently across several ECU system software modules. As a result, integration testing of these distributed software functions has been found to be a challenge. The automotive industry neither has infinite resources, nor has the time to carry out exhaustive testing of these functions. On the other hand, the traditional approach of implementing an ad-hoc selection of test scenarios based on the tester’s experience, can lead to test gaps and test redundancies. Hence, there is a pressing need within the automotive industry for a feasible and effective verification strategy for testing distributed software functions. Objectives. Firstly, to identify the current approach used to test the distributed automotive embedded software functions in literature and in a case company. Secondly, propose and validate a feasible and effective verification strategy for testing the distributed software functions that would help improve test coverage while reducing test redundan- cies and test gaps. Methods. To accomplish the objectives, a case study was conducted at Scania CV AB, Södertälje, Sweden. One of the data collection methods was through conducting interviews of different employees involved in the software testing activities. Based on the research objectives, an interview questionnaire with open-ended and close-ended questions has been used. Apart from interviews, data from relevant ar- tifacts in databases and archived documents has been used to achieve data triangulation. Moreover, to further strengthen the validity of the results obtained, adequate literature support has been presented throughout. Towards the end, a verification strategy has been proposed and validated using existing historical data at Scania. Conclusions. The proposed verification strategy to test distributed automotive embedded software functions has given promising results by providing means to identify test gaps and test redundancies. It helps establish an effective and feasible approach to capture function test coverage information that helps enhance the effectiveness of integration testing of the distributed software functions.

Este trabalho propõe o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para a verificação circuitos integrados de sinais mistos de uso em sistemas de comunicação que operem em modo simplex. Deseja-se aproveitar as características inversas de recepção e transmissão para otimizar o processo de verificação. Para o desenvolvimento desta metodologia de verificação, teve-se como objetivo estudar metodologias de verificação de circuitos integrados de sinais mistos existentes e sua evolução, as quais têm garantido cada vez mais a funcionalidade de circuitos integrados que são compostos por blocos analógicos e digitais. A metodologia é aplicada a um dos circuitos que compõem um sistema otimizado de transmissão de dados via satélite (Transponder para Satélite). O sistema de transmissão de dados via satélite, foco do trabalho, é composto por receptores, transmissores e conversores analógico digital e um Processador Digital de Sinais - Digital Signal Processing (DSP), todos desenvolvidos em hardware. A metodologia de verificação compreende no desenvolvimento de uma estrutura de verificação capaz de estimular os blocos digitais e analógicos com o objetivo de garantir a funcionalidade de cada um dos componentes do IP Transponder. Em uma etapa seguinte, foi possível estimular o IP Transponder de forma integrada, no que se refere aos os blocos digitais e analógicos, assim como os de transmissão e recepção. Ressalta-se ainda que todo o desenvolvimento foi realizado em alto nível, ou seja, todas as características e propriedades foram observadas utilizando-se somente simuladores para garantir a funcionalidade do circuito integrado de sinais mistos que compõe o IP Transponder para satélite. / This work proposes the development of a verification methodology, used during the verification process of a mixed signal integrated circuit, which represents a communication system operating in simplex mode. In order to optimize the verification process, reverse reception and transmission will be used. With the intention of developing our verification methodology, a study on other methodologies used for the verification of mixed signals integrated circuits and the evolution of such methodologies was carried out. The proposed methodology has been applied in an advanced circuit used to establish data transmission by satellite (Transponder for Satellite). The targeted data transmission system is composed by analog receptor and transmitter, analog to digital converters and a digital signal-processing unit, all developed in hardware. The verification methodology consists of two steps: first, the development of a verification structure that are able to stimulate digital and analog blocks in order to guarantee the functionality of each system component. In a following step, the developed verification environment provides the stimulation for all the Transponder IP (digital and analog blocks), and for transmission and reception blocks as well. The verification process development was performed in high level, meaning all the characteristics and properties has been observed using only simulators with the purpose of guarantee the functionality of the mixed signal integrated circuit that composes the satellite Transponder IP.

Este trabalho propõe o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para a verificação circuitos integrados de sinais mistos de uso em sistemas de comunicação que operem em modo simplex. Deseja-se aproveitar as características inversas de recepção e transmissão para otimizar o processo de verificação. Para o desenvolvimento desta metodologia de verificação, teve-se como objetivo estudar metodologias de verificação de circuitos integrados de sinais mistos existentes e sua evolução, as quais têm garantido cada vez mais a funcionalidade de circuitos integrados que são compostos por blocos analógicos e digitais. A metodologia é aplicada a um dos circuitos que compõem um sistema otimizado de transmissão de dados via satélite (Transponder para Satélite). O sistema de transmissão de dados via satélite, foco do trabalho, é composto por receptores, transmissores e conversores analógico digital e um Processador Digital de Sinais - Digital Signal Processing (DSP), todos desenvolvidos em hardware. A metodologia de verificação compreende no desenvolvimento de uma estrutura de verificação capaz de estimular os blocos digitais e analógicos com o objetivo de garantir a funcionalidade de cada um dos componentes do IP Transponder. Em uma etapa seguinte, foi possível estimular o IP Transponder de forma integrada, no que se refere aos os blocos digitais e analógicos, assim como os de transmissão e recepção. Ressalta-se ainda que todo o desenvolvimento foi realizado em alto nível, ou seja, todas as características e propriedades foram observadas utilizando-se somente simuladores para garantir a funcionalidade do circuito integrado de sinais mistos que compõe o IP Transponder para satélite. / This work proposes the development of a verification methodology, used during the verification process of a mixed signal integrated circuit, which represents a communication system operating in simplex mode. In order to optimize the verification process, reverse reception and transmission will be used. With the intention of developing our verification methodology, a study on other methodologies used for the verification of mixed signals integrated circuits and the evolution of such methodologies was carried out. The proposed methodology has been applied in an advanced circuit used to establish data transmission by satellite (Transponder for Satellite). The targeted data transmission system is composed by analog receptor and transmitter, analog to digital converters and a digital signal-processing unit, all developed in hardware. The verification methodology consists of two steps: first, the development of a verification structure that are able to stimulate digital and analog blocks in order to guarantee the functionality of each system component. In a following step, the developed verification environment provides the stimulation for all the Transponder IP (digital and analog blocks), and for transmission and reception blocks as well. The verification process development was performed in high level, meaning all the characteristics and properties has been observed using only simulators with the purpose of guarantee the functionality of the mixed signal integrated circuit that composes the satellite Transponder IP.