ETTC'2003 - SEE

6. Automatic validation
Principles
Automatic validation principles are the following [Lloret, Dasia 2002] :
• The automatic validation technique enables to execute test-cases without operator and perform
specified TM verifications. Presently, this technique makes use of Satellite Digital Simulator
SINUS, taking benefit of functions such as pause and simulation time acceleration.
• Automatic validation is based on translator p2s which converts FCPS (pil syntax) into SINUS
scripts (tcl syntax).
• Executing such a script consists in sending TC and verifying TM parameter values.
• Test scripts provide test-cases implementation. A test script instruction can be : (1) context
restoration; (2) FCP execution; (3) programming message execution.
• A test log-book is automatically produced for a posteriori analysis.
Operational Procedures
(Control Plan)
Translator
Objectives
Operational
Procedures
(SINUS)
Procedure call
TC
TM effects
to check
Test script
Test monitoring
SINUS
(accelerated time)
6
Test
log-book
Global objectives of automatic validation are the following :
1. Improve testing reliability :
• With automation, operator errors are not longer possible (send a wrong TC or forget to check
TM effects).
• Procedures are respected strictly. TM effects are verified exhaustively which is very difficult
when performed manually because TM effects may be many and because of real time
constraints. Also observation delays between TC and their TM effects can be traced more
precisely.
• Produced test log-books are necessarily complete opposed to log-books written manually: Every
sent TC is traced together with TM verification results. Simulation configuration is traced in the
test log-book : on-board central SW release, simulator release and initial context, the version of
each sent TC. Furthermore, test log-book formalisation enables automatic comparisons when
performing non-regression tests.
2. Improve testing efficiency :