System and method for generating data sets for testing embedded systems

• US 20020198675A1
• Filed: 03/22/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: S2 Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: S2 Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Underseth, Mark, Howell, Robert, Fertitta, Kirk
• Granted Patent: US 7,237,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/122
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/542 Intercept
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/546 Xcast
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/547 Messaging middleware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method for providing seamless communication with threads executing on an embedded computer. Using a DAT system, a programmer can test the communication interfaces of a thread via either a scripting program, any COM-compliant program, or a graphical test utility. The DAT system automatically formats a block of data that is transmitted between the embedded computer and a host computer and accounts for machine specific enumeration sizes, machine specific pointer sizes, machine specific structure alignment boundaries, machine specific integer sizes, and machine specific byte ordering.

Claims

1. A system for testing a thread executing on an embedded computer, the system comprising:

a host computer;

a first thread executing on the host computer; and

an embedded computer executing a thread, wherein the embedded computer monitors a plurality of communications that are sent to the thread and transmits data from the monitored communications to the host computer, wherein the host computer stores the data from the monitored communications in a plurality of data sets.

2. A method of testing a thread, the method comprising:

monitoring a plurality of communications that are sent to a thread that is executing on an embedded computer;

transmitting the monitored communications to a host computer;

storing the monitored communications in a plurality of data sets; and

transmitting at least one of the data sets to the monitored thread.

3. A system for testing a thread, the system comprising:

means for monitoring a plurality of communications that are sent to a thread that is executing on an embedded computer;

means for transmitting the monitored communications to a host computer;

means for storing the monitored communication in a plurality of data sets; and

means for transmitting the data sets to the monitored thread.

4. A method of testing a thread, the method comprising:

monitoring a plurality of communications from a first thread to a second thread, wherein the communication comprise a plurality of data elements;

storing each of the communications in a data set; and

transmitting each of the stored data elements to the first thread.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first thread and the second thread are each executing on an embedded computer.

6. A system for testing a thread, the system comprising:

means for monitoring a plurality of communications from a first thread to a second thread, wherein the communications comprise a plurality of data elements;

means for storing each of the data elements in a data set; and

means for transmitting at least one of the stored data elements to the first thread.

7. A method comprising:

invoking an application programming interface thereby storing structured data in a communication database; and

invoking the application programming interface thereby transmitting the stored structured data via a predefined communication interface.

8. The method of claim 7, additionally comprising invoking the application programming interface to register ownership of the message.

9. The method of claim 7, additionally comprising automatically incrementing an index in the database to another item of structured data.

10. The method of claim 7, additionally comprising:

invoking the application programming interface thereby automatically incrementing an index in the database to a second item of structured data; and

transmitting the second item of structured data.

11. The method of claim 7, additionally comprising invoking the application programming interface so that an index references a particular item of structured data in the communication database.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the application programming interface is invoked by a scripting program.

14. The system of claim 13, additionally comprising means for invoking the application programming interface to register ownership of the message.

15. The system of claim 13, additionally comprising means for automatically incrementing an index in the database to another item of structured data.

16. The system of claim 13, additionally comprising:

means for invoking the application programming interface so as to automatically increment an index in the database to a subsequent item of structured data; and

transmitting the second item of structured data.

13. A system comprising:

means for invoking an application programming interface so as to store structured data in a communication database; and

means for invoking the application programming interface so as to transmit the stored structured data via a predefined communication interface.