A system for automatic testing of embedded software in undergraduate study exercises

Abstract

As student numbers in embedded systems lab courses increase, it becomes more and more time-consuming to verify the correctness of their homework and exam programs. Automatic verification can vastly improve the speed and quality of such tests. This paper describes a system that can carry out black-box tests to verify whether the embedded software running on a target system meets predefined requirements. To this aim, we employ a special test board using an ATmega128 microcontroller which is connected to both the target system and to a host computer. Tests can be selected and started remotely, the results are presented to the user on the host. Monitoring and control via Internet is also easily possible. A special meta-language is used to describe the correct behavior of the tested program, and this description is compiled and downloaded to the test system via a standard RS-232 interface, where the test is executed. The same interface is used to control the tests and for transfer of data and end results.