Method for testing a control apparatus and test device

• US 8,214,690 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dspace GmbH
• Original Assignee: Dspace Digital Signal Processing And Control Engineering Gmbh
• Inventors: Lamberg, Klaus, Thiessen, Christine, Schnelte, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Ehne, Charles
• Application Number:
  US12/703,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20100218046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 714/28, 714/33
• US Class Current: 714/28
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0256 injecting test signals and analyzing monitored process response, e.g. injecting the test signal while interrupting the normal operation of the monitored system; superimposing the test signal onto a control signal during normal operation of the monitored system

Abstract

A method is described and represented for testing a control apparatus with a test device, where the control apparatus has at least one state variable and at least one actual functionality that contains a time dependency, and the control apparatus and the test device are connected to each other via a signal interface.

The problem of the present invention is to prevent—at least partially—the disadvantages known from the state of the art, and, particularly, to provide a method for testing a control apparatus, which allows as simple and flexible an acquisition of the target functionality of a control apparatus is possible, and which takes into account the time dependency of the target functionality as comprehensively as possible during the test case generation.

Claims

1. A method for testing a control apparatus with a test device, where the control apparatus has at least one state variable and at least one actual functionality that contains a time dependency, and the control apparatus and the test device are connected to each other via a signal interface, which method comprises the following process steps:

acquisition in formal language of at least one time dependency-containing target functionality as a requirement, where the target functionality comprises at least one action and at least one expected reaction without an error model of the target functionality,

generation of a requirement model from the requirement,

generation of one or more test cases by performing at least one achievability analysis carried out in the requirement model taking into account the time dependency of the target functionality, and

translation of the test cases into signal patterns, application of the signal patterns by the test device to the control apparatus via the signal interface, and acquisition of the pertinent state variables of the control apparatus with the test device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time dependency of the target functionality comprises the presetting of a reaction time interval of the expected reaction.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the achievability analysis is carried out by the allocation at least one additional time boundary condition, where the additional time boundary conditions ensures that the entire reaction time interval is taken into account, by allocating the limit of a time inequality.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the target functionality and thus the requirement comprise at least one precondition or at least one postcondition.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the test case is generated by the achievability analysis in the formal requirement model, by

a) first establishing a start plan comprising an initial state or an initial action, and an end state or an end action, in each case by the selection of at least one state variable with defined state,

b) inserting, in the start plan, a requirement from the requirement model, between the initial state or the initial action, and the end state or the end action, so that a partial plan is created, and where the resulting causal coverage is acquired, including by causal connections, and

c) inserting in the partial plan successive additional requirements from the requirement model, until a causally gap-free path is achieved between the initial state-and the desired end state.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a causal inconsistency between requirements in the partial plan or in the solution plan is resolved by setting at least one time boundary condition by demotion or promotion.

7. The method according to claim 5 wherein a causal inconsistency between requirements in the partial plan or in the solution plan is avoided by confrontation, by avoiding the start state that was the prerequisite for the inconsistency.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the requirements are atomized and the requirement model is based on a composition of atomized requirements.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the acquisition of the requirements in formal language occurs by a controlled natural language.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the requirements with the smallest number of necessary actions are selected from several requirements that were determined for testing a target functionality.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the target functionality and thus the requirement comprise at least one precondition and at least one postcondition.

12. A non-transitory computer readable data medium storing computer code for testing a control apparatus with a test device, where the control apparatus has at least one state variable and at least one actual functionality that contains a time dependency, and the control apparatus and the test device are connected to each other via a signal interface, wherein the computer code performs the following process steps:

acquisition in formal language of at least one time dependency-containing target functionality as a requirement, where the target functionality comprises at least one action and at least one expected reaction without an error model of the target functionality,

generation of a requirement model from the requirement,

generation of one or more test cases by performing at least one achievability analysis carried out in the requirement model taking into account the time dependency of the target functionality, and

translation of the test cases into signal patterns, application of the signal patterns by the test device to the control apparatus via the signal interface, and acquisition of the pertinent state variables of the control apparatus with the test device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable data medium of claim 12, wherein the time dependency of the target functionality comprises the presetting of a reaction time interval of the expected reaction.

14. The non-transitory computer readable data medium of claim 13, wherein the achievability analysis is carried out by the allocation at least one additional time boundary condition, where the additional time boundary conditions ensures that the entire reaction time interval is taken into account, by allocating the limit of a time inequality.

15. The non-transitory computer readable data medium of claim 12, wherein the target functionality and thus the requirement comprise at least one precondition or at least one postcondition.

16. The non-transitory computer readable data medium of claim 12, wherein the test case is generated by the achievability analysis in the formal requirement model, by

a) first establishing a start plan comprising an initial state or an initial action, and an end state or an end action, in each case by the selection of at least one state variable with defined state,

b) inserting, in the start plan, a requirement from the requirement model, between the initial state or the initial action, and the end state or the end action, so that a partial plan is created, and where the resulting causal coverage is acquired, including by causal connections, and

c) inserting in the partial plan successive additional requirements from the requirement model, until a causally gap-free path is achieved between the initial state-and the desired end state.

17. The non-transitory computer readable data medium of claim 16, wherein a causal inconsistency between requirements in the partial plan or in the solution plan is resolved by setting at least one time boundary condition by demotion or promotion.

18. The non-transitory computer readable data medium of claim 12, wherein the target functionality and thus the requirement comprise at least one precondition and at least one postcondition.

19. The non-transitory computer readable data medium of claim 16, wherein a causal inconsistency between requirements in the partial plan or in the solution plan is avoided by confrontation, by avoiding the start state that was the prerequisite for the inconsistency.

20. The non transitory computer readable data medium of claim 12, wherein the requirements are atomized and the requirement model is based on a composition of atomized requirements.

21. The non-transitory computer readable data medium of claim 12, wherein the acquisition of the requirements in formal language occurs by a controlled natural language.

22. The non-transitory computer readable data medium of claim 12, wherein the requirements with the smallest number of necessary actions are selected from several requirements that were determined for testing a target functionality.

23. A test device for testing a control apparatus, where the control apparatus has state variables, and the test device can be connected with the control apparatus via a defined signal interface wherein the test device:

acquires a requirement in formal language at least one time dependency-containing target functionality, where the target functionality comprises at least one action and at least one expected reaction without an error model of the target functionality,

generates a requirement model from the requirement,

generates one or more test cases by performing at least one achievability analysis carried out in the requirement model taking into account the time dependency of the target functionality, and

translates the test cases into signal patterns, applies the signal patterns of the test device to the control apparatus via the signal interface, and acquires the pertinent state variables of the control apparatus.

24. The test device of claim 23, wherein the time dependency of the target functionality comprises the presetting of a reaction time interval of the expected reaction.

25. The test device of claim 23, wherein the achievability analysis is carried out by the allocation at least one additional time boundary condition, where the additional time boundary conditions ensures that the entire reaction time interval is taken into account, by allocating the limit of a time inequality.

26. The test device of claim 23, wherein the target functionality and thus the requirement comprise at least one precondition or at least one postcondition.

27. The test device of claim 23, wherein the test case is generated by the achievability analysis in the formal requirement model, by

a) first establishing a start plan comprising an initial state or an initial action, and an end state or an end action, in each case by the selection of at least one state variable with defined state,

b) inserting, in the start plan, a requirement from the requirement model, between the initial state or the initial action, and the end state or the end action, so that a partial plan is created, and where the resulting causal coverage is acquired, including by causal connections, and

c) inserting in the partial plan successive additional requirements from the requirement model, until a causally gap-free path is achieved between the initial state-and the desired end state.

28. The test device of claim 27, wherein a causal inconsistency between requirements in the partial plan or in the solution plan is resolved by setting at least one time boundary condition by demotion or promotion.

29. The test device of claim 23, wherein the target functionality and thus the requirement comprise at least one precondition and at least one postcondition.

30. The test device of claim 27, wherein a causal inconsistency between requirements in the partial plan or in the solution plan is avoided by confrontation, by avoiding the start state that was the prerequisite for the inconsistency.

31. The test device of claim 23, wherein the requirements are atomized and the requirement model is based on a composition of atomized requirements.

32. The test device of claim 23, wherein the acquisition of the requirements in formal language occurs by a controlled natural language.

33. The test device of claim 23, wherein the requirements with the smallest number of necessary actions are selected from several requirements that were determined for testing a target functionality.

34. A method for testing a control apparatus with a test device. where the control apparatus has at least one state variable and at least one actual functionality that contains a time dependency, and the control apparatus and the test device are connected to each other via a signal interface, which method comprises the following process steps:

acquisition in formal language of at least one time dependency-containing target functionality as a requirement, where the target functionality comprises at least one action and at least one expected reaction,

generation of a requirement model from the requirement,

generation of one or more test cases by performing at least one achievability analysis carried out in the requirement model taking into account the time dependency of the target functionality, and

translation of the test cases into signal patterns, application of the signal patterns by the test device to the control apparatus via the signal interface, and acquisition of the pertinent state variables of the control apparatus with the test device; and

wherein the test case is generated by the achievability analysis in the formal requirement model, by

a) first establishing a start plan comprising an initial state or an initial action, and an end state or an end action, in each case by the selection of at least one state variable with defined state,

b) inserting, in the start plan, a requirement from the requirement model, between the initial state or the initial action, and the end state or the end action, so that a partial plan is created, and where the resulting causal coverage is acquired, including by causal connections, and

c) inserting in the partial plan successive additional requirements from the requirement model, until a causally gap-free path is achieved between the initial state-and the desired end state; and

wherein a causal inconsistency between requirements in the partial plan or in the solution plan is resolved by setting at least one time boundary condition by demotion or promotion.

35. The method according to claim 34 wherein the requirements with the smallest number of necessary actions are selected from several requirements that were determined for testing a target functionality.

36. A test device for testing a control apparatus, where the control apparatus has state variables, and the test device can be connected with the control apparatus via a defined signal interface wherein the test device:

acquires a requirement in formal language at least one time dependency-containing target functionality, where the target functionality comprises at least one action and at least one expected reaction,

generates a requirement model from the requirement,

generates one or more test cases by performing at least one achievability analysis carried out in the requirement model taking into account the time dependency of the target functionality, and

translates the test cases into signal patterns, applies the signal patterns of the test device to the control apparatus via the signal interface, and acquires the pertinent state variables of the control apparatus; and

wherein a causal inconsistency between requirements in the partial plan or in the solution plan is resolved by setting at least one time boundary condition by demotion or promotion.

37. The test device of claim 36, wherein the requirements with the smallest number of necessary actions are selected from several requirements that were determined for testing a target functionality.