Product category:
Design and Development Software
News Release from: Hitex Development Tools | Subject: Tessy
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 14 February 2005
Embedded software test tool is easier to
run
The latest version of the Tessy automated embedded software test tool offers extended functionality and ease of use.
The latest version of the Tessy automated embedded software test tool offers extended functionality and ease of use With the enhanced unit test facilities, individual C language functions are rigorously exercised
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 20 Feb 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Upgrade for embedded test automation
Tessy, the tool for automating the testing of embedded software, is now available in version 2.2.9.
Hardware enters embedded software test loop
Users of the Tessy software test tool can now test embedded software with full reference to the hardware environment and the physical interfaces of the application system.
The extended test options cover: local static variable functions, the calling sequence of stub functions, the examination of pointers on symbolic functions, inclusion of values not existing in the interface in the test result and also the option of using stub functions in place of local module functions.
Normally with such a test the user cannot access local static variables because when using the keyword "static" these are not visible outside of the function concerned.
By means of a special technique, Tessy removes this cloaking, so that such variables can be observed and examined during the test.
Further reading
Test tool integration cuts down on manual work
The latest version of Tessy features much tighter integration with the CTE classification tree editor, a tool for test case specification according to the classification tree method.
Software test tool keeps track of changes
The latest version of the Tessy embedded software test tool incorporates features for the reconstruction of test changes.
Upgrade for embedded software testing
Tool for automating module/unit testing of embedded software expands to cover safety-critical applications.
In practice this is particularly important for the test of functions with internal memory (for example state machines), as the memory (ie the condition of the state machine) is often implemented by a module-level static variable.
In the case of function calls from the tested unit, Tessy offers a new option: the expected call-sequences can be indicated for each test case in advance.
Tessy can now automatically examine whether this predicted sequence was observed within the test or not.
With the unit test, functions which are called by the function being tested should be replaced by substitute symbol functions (so-called "stubs"), so that the unit test is not adversely influenced by these other functions.
Problems can also result if the tested units and the called functions are in the same C source module because normally you can't prevent the link between the call concerned and the function in the same module.
Again Tessy can offer a solution to this problem whereby all functions can now be replaced by substitute symbol functions, even if the replaced function lies in the same C source module.
An improved test possibility now applies to function pointers.
Through the examination of the symbolic name of the function, Tessy can locate the results of a test, i.e the user does not need to know the actual address of the function.
After the test procedure Tessy can perform further evaluations such as verifying memory areas that do not belong to the unit's interface.
To simplify operation, a certain value can be assigned to a particular variable for all tests.
This helps with the job of producing a larger number of test cases.
In addition there is an auto-completion function for interface variables in the user code window.
Tessy supports important microcontrollers including ARM, Atmel (AVR), Freescale (HC(S)08, HC(S)12, 68k, PowerPC), Fujitsu (FFMC16), Infineon (8051, C167, XC166, TriCore), National Semiconductor (CR16C), NEC (78k, V850), Philips (ARM, 8051), Renesas (M16C, M32C), STMicroelectronics (ST7, ST10) and Texas Instruments (TMS320, TMS470).
Furthermore Tessy supports compilers from ARM, Cosmic, Fujitsu, Gnu, Greenhills, HighTec, IAR, Keil, Metrowerks, National Semiconductor, Tasking, Texas Instruments and Wind River.
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