Towards a systematic test for embedded automotive communication systems

The introduction of computer-controlled intelligent safety and comfort features has turned cars into complex distributed computing systems. In such a system the proper operation of the communication backbone as well as the proper interaction of components from different vendors must be ensured for all configurations and operating conditions. This system-level test goes far beyond the (isolated) test of single components and represents a substantial problem, that seems to be still largely unsolved, although its solution is crucial for maintaining the consumers' trust in modern automotive electronics. In this paper we concentrate on the test of distributed systems based on FlexRay, the protocol that is envisioned as the communication backbone for future automotive systems. The cornerstones of our approach are a decomposition of the system into layers and mechanisms, and a versatile strategy for monitoring and stimulation under various conditions. Our concept can be adapted to diverse needs ranging from an early debugging with full access to the system, over non-intrusive online testing during inter-operability tests, to maintenance testing that is restricted to a remote access only. We give detailed discussions of the requirements and present our solutions for the various issues involved. Selected use cases demonstrate the usefulness of the taken approach.