Functional test environment for time-triggered control systems in complex MPSoCs

Many safety-critical and especially mixed-criticality computer systems are realized as a time-triggered (TT) system. Such systems execute one or more tasks according to a pre-determined scheduling. For the integration of functionality on such a TT MPSoC, not only the timing, but also the interplay of functional behavior and timing, needs to be validated. In this work we are proposing a new test environment for TT systems. Our proposed framework captures the TT system configuration, performs consistency checks and generates a fast executable simulation model. In the past, functional integration testing has been performed on a prototyping board, sometimes in a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) configuration to support testing against a complex environment model. Compared to a simulation model, a HIL setup requires high effort, has a comparable low observability and is more difficult to debug. For this reason we propose the GALI (Globally Accurate, Locally Inaccurate) simulation model that combines an instruction accurate simulation engine with a global time-triggered scheduler. Thus, combining the low-level view on the implemented system with very good testability and debuggability. The proposed configuration and simulation platform accelerates the design and implementation of future TT systems. We evaluate our presented approach on a safety-relevant multirotor system. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.