SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING MODEL ANALYSIS TO GENERATE DIRECTED TEST VECTORS

• US 20080109194A1
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Gaudette, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/261 by simulating additional hardware, e.g. fault simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/33 Design verification, e.g. functional simulation or model checking

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system model models characteristics of a real-world system. The system model includes a plurality of sub-portions that each correspond to a component of the real-world system. A plurality of test vectors are applied to the system model and coverage achieved by the test vectors on the sub-portions of the system model is measured. In response to a failure of the real world system, a suspected failed component of the real-world system is matched to a particular sub-portion of the system model. A test vector to be applied to the real-world system to test the suspected failed component is selected in response to coverage achieved on the particular sub-portion of the system model.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising

creating a system model that models characteristics of a real-world system, the system model including a plurality of sub-portions that each correspond to a component of the real-world system;

applying a plurality test vectors to the system model;

measuring coverage achieved by the test vectors on the sub-portions of the system model;

matching a suspected failed component of the real-world system to a particular sub-portion of the system model;

selecting a test vector of the a plurality test vectors to be applied to the real-world system to test the suspected failed component in response to the measured coverage achieved on the particular sub-portion of the system model; and

applying the selected test vector to the real-world system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the selected test vector is a test vector for which the measured coverage achieved on the particular sub-portion of the system model is the highest.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein coverage indicates a percentage of time a sub-portion of the system model is activated.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a coverage analysis report that includes the measured coverage achieved by the plurality of test vectors on sub-portions of the system model; and

storing the coverage analysis report until a failure is detected in the real-world system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein selecting further comprises automatically choosing the selected test vector based upon the coverage analysis report.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the system model is a block diagram model that includes a plurality of blocks interconnected by lines that represent signals.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein each sub-portion of the system model comprises one or more blocks of the block diagram model.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining one or more design requirements for the real-world system; and

generating at least some of the plurality of test vectors in response to the design requirements.

9. An electronic-device-readable storage media comprising instructions executable by an electronic device to:

simulate a system model that models characteristics of a real-world system, the system model including a plurality of sub-portions that each correspond to a component of the real-world system;

measure coverage achieved by a plurality of test parameters on the sub-portions of the system model;

receive a notification of a suspected failed component of the real-world system, the suspected failed component corresponding to a particular sub-portion of the system model; and

select one or more of the plurality of test parameters to be applied to the real-world system to test the suspected failed component in response to measured coverage achieved on the particular sub-portion of the system model.

10. The electronic-device-readable storage media of claim 9 wherein the instructions are further executable by the electronic device to:

apply the selected one or more test parameters to the real-world system.

11. The electronic-device-readable storage media of claim 9 wherein the selected one or more test parameters are test parameters for which the measured coverage achieved on the particular sub-portion of the system model is the highest.

12. The electronic-device-readable storage media of claim 9 wherein coverage indicates a percentage of time a sub-portion of the system model is activated.

13. The electronic-device-readable storage media of claim 9 wherein the instructions are further executable by the electronic device to:

generate a report that includes coverage achieved by the plurality of test parameters on the sub-portions of the system model; and

store the report until the notification of the suspected failed component is received.

14. The electronic-device-readable storage media of claim 13 wherein the instructions are further executable by the electronic device to:

automatically choose the selected one or more test parameters based upon the coverage analysis report.

15. The electronic-device-readable storage media of claim 9 wherein the system model is a block diagram model that includes a plurality of blocks interconnected by lines that represent signals.

16. The electronic-device-readable storage media of claim 15 wherein each sub-portion of the system model comprises one or more blocks of the block diagram model.

17. The electronic-device-readable storage media of claim 9 wherein the instructions are further executable by the electronic device to:

generate at least some of the plurality of test parameters in response one or more design requirements for the real-world system.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a block diagram model of a real-world system, the block diagram model including a plurality of blocks that correspond to components of a real-world system; and

a test system configured to,

apply a plurality test vectors to the block diagram model,

measure coverage achieved by each of the test vectors on each of the blocks, and

select a particular test vector of the plurality of test vectors to be applied to the real-world system to test a suspected failed component of the real world system, the selection in response to the measured coverage achieved by the particular test vector on one or more blocks of the system model that correspond to the suspected failed component.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the particular test vector achieved highest coverage on the one or more blocks that correspond to the suspected failed component.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein coverage indicates a percentage of time activated.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the test system is a portion of a technical computing environment.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the test system is further configured to generate a coverage analysis report and to store the coverage analysis report.

23. An apparatus comprising:

means for creating a system model that models characteristics of a real-world system, the system model including a plurality of sub-portions that each correspond to a component of the real-world system;

means for measuring coverage achieved by a plurality of test vectors on the sub-portions of the system model; and

means for selecting a test vector of the plurality of test vectors to be applied to the real-world system to test a suspected failed component of the real world system, the selected test vector chosen in response to the measured coverage achieved by the test vectors on a particular sub-portion of the system model that corresponds to the suspected failed component.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the selected test vector achieved highest coverage on the particular sub-portion of the system model.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein coverage indicates a percentage of time a sub-portion of the system model is activated.