TPT is a model-based  testing tool for testing embedded systems, especially the testing of control  systems. TPT supports all important fields of the test process which are in  detail the management of tests, test modelling, test execution, test assessment,  and test documentation.

Based on innovative Time  Partition Testing Method,TPT helps to greatly improve the software testing  technology of control systems. TPT also supports industry mainstream modeling  and testing environments, it can implement automatic testing on different  platforms, making best use of customers’ existing tool investment. Especially  for MATLAB/Simulink/Stateflow and TargetLink, TPT provide best support for  model-based testing.

TPT is the product of PikeTec GmbH, located in Berlin,  Germany. The founders of PikeTec shared a ten year working experience at  DaimlerChrysler.TPT was awarded as the best innovation software in Daimler in  2005, and is widely used in OEMs like Daimler, VW, Audi, Porsche, GM,etc, in  suppliers like Bosch, Continental, Hella, etc.(Please visit PikeTec’s TPT website for  further details about TPT.)

As PikeTec’s partner in  China, Polelink will help Chinese customers to improve the testing efficiency of  embedded control systems by TPT. 

Time Partition Testing

Time Partition Testing is  software testing method based on time partition, mainly used for model-based  module testing, integration testing, systematic testing and regression  testing.

Embedded software-based  control systems interact with their real environment in real-time, are very  complex and usually have a continuous but time discrete behaviour. Classic test  approaches are not suitable for such systems since these are mostly specialized  on the modelling of individual discrete values or value sequences and not on the  description of continuous signals.

With its test modelling  language, TPT provides mechanisms for the simple and easily understandable  modelling of signals which accommodates the continuous character of the  systems.

Test cases stimulate the  test object by continuously affecting system quantities (inputs). Test cases can  react to system behavior by observing system quantities (outputs).The  bi-directional interaction between Interface test object and TPT test case is  based on named variables.

Key Features of TPT

TPT was developed to  graphically and compactly model tests of embedded systems – especially those  with continuous behaviour, to automate those tests and to offer a systematic  that supports the tester in selecting an ideal amount of test cases. The  intuitive graphic modelling technique for test cases, the mechanisms for the  structuring of complex test problems, the simple integration in any test-bench  and a number of additional interesting features makes TPT a unique test  solution.

 TPT key benefits:

• Cost-efficient consistent  testing for all phases of the development: One test description for all  development phases (MiL, SiL, HiL). Early malfunction detection.

• Intuitive test description:  Model-based test development without extensive programming skills required. The  graphical test-modeling is platform-independent.

• Test execution on many different  platforms: Simple integration and test execution on all platforms (e.g.  MATLAB/Simulink models, TargetLink models, ASCET, C-Code, DaVinci, SystemDesk,  CAN, LIN, INCA, LABCAR, HiL-Tests).

• AUTOSAR components can be tested  using TPT and the execution platform DaVinci, SystemDesk or Messina.  

• Real-time enabled: On  real-time-platforms the tests can be executed in real-time. The testing of  controller systems is possible.

• Closed-loop testing: TPT  supports reactive tests, that is to say tests, which can react on the system’s  behaviour during the test execution. Particularly when testing control systems,  this possibility is essential because system mostly show a reactive nature in  these fields.

• Efficient automatic test result  evaluation: After the test run the collected data can be assessed via GUI or  assessment script. This means the expected behaviour of the system is analysed  systematically. The source of the analysed data can be also a different measure  tool like TargetLink, Simulink signal logging data, INCA or CANape.

• Efficient automatic test  documentation: The test results are documented as information rich freely  configurable HTML reports.

• Universl test tool: The test  specification (modeling) is identical for all tests (model-testing,  unit-testing, Integration-testing, validation-testing, regression-testing).  

• Automatic test process: The  automatic process using TPT includes test execution, test assessment and test  documentation. This process is the same using the same tool for all platforms.  

• Highest test-quality by means of  systematic testing.

• ASAM MCD-3 Measurement: Parallel  to the test execution controller internal signals can be measured via MCD-3 .  

• Requirements tracing:  Traceability of requirements and tests.

Testing Simulink Models

TPT offers unique and  all-encompassing support for testing and verification MATLAB/Simulink/Stateflow-  and TargetLink models. The strengths of both systems can be used because of the  perfectly tuned interface between TPT and MATLAB/Simulink. Functional models are  created normally in MATLAB/Simulink, Stateflow and TargetLink. Then the  associated test models are created in TPT. The integration feature of TPT with  MATLAB/Simulink ensures an efficient execution and an effective test  process.

In order to make the test  models simple to create and easy to reuse, TPT extracts the interface  information for the functional models and inserts this into the test model. TPT  takes the subsystem model to be tested, automatically handles the interfacing  and analysis of complex signals, the vectors, busses, multiplexer. The TPT  interfaces can also be manually adapted or corrected if necessary.

TPT requires a  test-harness model for the test execution which contains a copy of the complete  sub system behaviour and a special TPT execution engine. The creation of the TPT  test-harness model is completely automatic, if desired.

All aspects of test  execution management are handled by TPT. Test execution control for MATLAB tests  is managed by TPT and complex tests can be executed unattended in batch mode.  TPT can remotely control MATLAB/Simulink and implement Bi-directional exchange  of parameters between MATLAB and TPT.

Key Features:

• Full Support  MATLAB/SIMULINK

• Full Support TargetLink

• Automatic analysis of the model  under test, analyse interfaces, import parameters

• Automatic generation of the  test-frame models(test-harness-model)

• Bi-directional exchange of  parameters between MATLAB and TPT

• Reusability of tests between  MiL, SiL, PiL and HiL

• Flexible configuration options  by way of M-script support

TPT  Test Execution

TPT completely automates  the test execution; test evaluation and test report generation. Tests with TPT  can be automatically performed in almost all test environments. The heart of the  test execution is the so-called TPT Virtual Machine (TPT-VM), which optimally  processes the test cases translated into special byte-code and thus controls the  test. The integration of TPT into an existing test environment just requires the  TPT-VM to be embedded into the test environment and signal data to be exchanged  between the test environment and the TPT-VM at run-time – which is normally  possible with little effort.

Supported Platform by TPT: 

TPT also provides co-simulation platform  environment-FUSION for PC- based testing environment, to easily build and  configurate a complex simulation environment, including CAN adapter, I/O  Adapter, EtherCAT, Plant Models and C-Code.

AUTOSAR Testing

TPT also provides  co-simulation platform environment-FUSION for PC- based testing environment, to  easily build and configurate a complex simulation environment, including CAN  adapter, I/O Adapter, EtherCAT, Plant Models and C-Code.

TPT can be used for  AUTOSAR-Testing. In Version 4.1 there exist an "Incubation Feature" called  "AUTOSAR-component testing support for FUSION". This feature enables the user to  test single AUTOSAR-components at the FUSION platform without other AUTOSAR  tools directly.

Alternative TPT can  remote-control DaVinci-CT, a Vector tool for testing AUTOSAR components. The  third way is via SystemDesk. In this case the TPT-VM is part of SystemDesk.  Tests can be executed from TPT in SystemDesk while all the configuration of the  Autosar-componentes in their environment is done in Systemdesk.

HiL Testing

Off the shelf TPT  supports LabCAR and dSpace Hardwares. Generally the TPT-VM can run on  HiL-systems in real-time. It must be handled how the test case is transferred to  the VM and how the test data is transferred back to the Host-PC. Alternatively  the VM can run on the Host-PC and sends Data to the HiL. This is not real-time  enabled. This question generally depends always on the HiL-System  itself.

During test execution on  real controller hardware TPT can measure controller internal signals  synchronously. The measurements are later available within the test assessment.  This offers a unique opportunity for automatic test result evaluation. TPT  implements the ASAM-MCD3 standard for measurement controller signals during test  execution via ETAS INCA and Vector CANape.

Requirement Tracing

Requirements tracing is  explicitly required by safety-critical software projects. Requirements  traceability refers to the ability to describe and follow the life of a  requirement, in both forwards and backwards direction. The goal is to follow a  requirement to its implementation and its tests.

TPT supports requirements  and test tracing. TPT supports the management of tests and requirements as well  as the relationship between both.Industry norms such as IEC 61508, DO-178B, EN  50128 and ISO 26262 require traceability of requirements and tests. TPT offers  an interface to requirements tools like IBM Rational DOORS in order to support  these activities.

Tool integration of TPT  and requirements management tools like IBM Rational DOORS  enables：

• Management of traceability links  between requirements and tests

• Traceability and impact analysis  of requirements changes

• Requirements modules can be  viewed in TPT

• Test cases can be exported to  IBM Rational DOORS

• Test cases can be imported from  IBM Rational DOORS

• Test cases can be synchronized  in IBM Rational DOORS and TPT

• Requirements modules can be  imported to TPT

• Traceability of requirements  changes

• Requirements coverage analysis  

ISO26262 Support

TPT supports all testing  activities that are required for a product developed according to ISO  26262.

TPT Supports Analysis and  detection of Tool Impact and Tool Error Detection. If one wants to use TPT for  you need to qualify TPT for it's using. For this one needs to find out the Tool  Confidence Level. From there qualification methods must be determined. For TPT  two methods come into consideration. The analysis of the development process of  TPT and a validation of the tool. For the process one needs to look at PikeTec’s  process. For the validation PikeTec can provide a validation suite for TPT. The  validation can be done by the user itself.