Automatic testing of embedded software based on state‐transition requirement specifications

This paper proposes an automatic testing method in which the testing data is constructed on the basis of state-transition specifications and the testing of real machines with embedded software is automatically performed. In automatic testing based on specifications, in general a test scenario with the same extent of abstraction as the specification is difficult to convert to testing data that can be used by the automatic tester. In the proposed testing method, the event action in the state-transition specification is related to the setting and referral of the memory value in the embedded debugger, which makes it possible to convert the test scenario to testing data and to perform the testing automatically. A CASE tool to support the proposed testing method is realized and its performance is evaluated. The effectiveness and the problems of the proposed testing method are noted. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 86(9): 64–75, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.10182