Design of real-time data management for embedded software test system

Abstract

ABSTRACT Simulation test system is a real time system, in which data management mechanism is the key point to assure test data correctness and real time transferring of the data. This paper introduced the architecture of the simulation test system first, and then elaborates how to build a data model in acco rdance with the feature of real data. It also presented a two leveled real time data storage strategy, together with real time management mechanism based on publisher-subscriber mode. Keywords : Software simulation test; simu lation test system;real-time data; INTRODUCTION With the wide applyment of embedded system, there are more and more failures caused by embedded system software. According to statistic data, there are 75% to 80% of the failu res are caused by software in embedded system. The quality of embedded software becomes a bottle-neck of the quality of embedded system. It’s well known that software test is a useful and practical way to assure the quality and reliability of software, but it’s hard to test embedded software due to its tight integration with hardware and its real time requirement. Simulation test is a useful way to solve this problem. Simulation test, is to use software or hardware to simulate the real executing environment (including both physical and hardware environment) of the software under test, so that the software under test can be conf igured into a real executing environment. Simulation test needs simulation test system. To support the test of real time embedded software, the simulatio n test system must be real time as well. Test system will produce tremendous test data during the test; and it must be able to collect the feedback data from the software under test real timely. The mechanism of storing and managing those real time data must not only assure the correctness of the data, but also meet the real time requirements of those data. For an authenticate test, we not only pay attention to the logic result of the test data, we also care about the time wh en the result was returned. Co rrectness and real time feature are the two important and main evaluation factors of data management mechanism of simulation test system. This paper introduced the whole structure of the simulation sy stem first, then cataloged real time data of the simulation system and analyzed features of each ki nd of real time data. We also elabor ate the storage mechanism and management mechanism of the real time data.