Embedded Software Testing

Embedded software differs from PC software because it is part of a product rather than the product itself, and its tasks range from automotive control units and industrial machines to life-sustaining medical devices. Testing embedded software requires understanding its unique challenges, including real-time behavior and hardware integration.

Readers will learn how to apply requirements engineering, ensure requirements traceability, and perform automated static analysis alongside professional code reviews. The book covers black-box testing techniques, unit tests, and integration tests to verify hardware/software interaction and system performance, helping readers navigate RTOS, middleware, and concurrency issues. It also shows how AI-based techniques are entering the field of embedded testing.

By the end of this book, readers will be equipped to design, implement, and manage testing strategies for both low and high-integrity embedded software. They will develop a comprehensive understanding of the essentials of test management, quality management standards like ISO 9001, and CMMI. The exercises and solutions will be valuable in gaining the skills needed to tackle complex testing challenges.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
● Implement unit tests and coverage.
● Solve unique testing challenges within the embedded software development lifecycle.
● Master requirements traceability and engineering.
● Manage ISO 9001, liability, and CMMI.
● Validate hardware/software integration and interfaces.
● Debug RTOS and concurrency issues.
● Analyze WCET and schedulability.
● Manage test projects, quality, and liability effectively.

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR
Designed for embedded software engineers, testers, QA professionals, and test managers, this book is ideal for those with a basic understanding of C or C++ and who want to master the software testing environment. It is also designed for developers seeking to enhance their test strategy using AI-based testing techniques and modern automated static analysis.

1. Foundations
2. Requirements and Testing
3. Review of the Design
4. Automatic Static Code Analysis
5. Code Reviews
6. Black-box Testing Techniques
7. Unit Tests
8. Integration Tests
9. System Tests
10. Testing RTOS and Middleware
11. Testing for Concurrency Issues
12. Worst-case Execution Time Analysis
13. Schedulability Analysis
14. Hardware/Software Interaction Analysis
15. Model-based Testing
16. Using Trace Data for Testing
17. AI-based Testing Techniques
18. Test Management
19. Quality Management
20. Software Testing and Liability Risk
APPENDIX A: Solutions to Exercises
APPENDIX B: Test Documentation
APPENDIX C: User Interface Tests of Infotainment Systems

● Stephan Gruenfelder has a background as a programmer and tester in unmanned spaceflight and medical technology, later as a project manager for control unit development in the automotive sector, and now works independently as a trainer for software testing and as a senior software tester for broadcast equipment. He has held academic teaching appointments at Reykjavik University, the University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien, and the Technical University of Vienna. His consulting work and training clients are mostly from Germany but span from London, UK, to Bangalore, India.

● Adam Mackay has a deep background in regulated and safety-critical technology, with over two decades of experience spanning aerospace, automotive, and healthcare domains. Currently serving as head of AI research at QA Systems, he leads initiatives to advance the application of artificial intelligence in safety-critical environments. His work focuses on combining traditional embedded systems testing methodologies with emerging AI technologies to enhance software quality and reliability. Adam holds a master of engineering with honors from the University of Bath and regularly contributes to the embedded systems community through his technical writing and conference presentations.