Device Driver Qualification Using Virtual Fault Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for qualifying device drivers, such as hardware-in-the-loop testing, require expensive equipment and are time-consuming, especially when testing for robustness and rare cases, necessitating the use of electrical equipment and climate chambers.
Innovation Solution
The use of device emulators that simulate dedicated device behavior, allowing for software-based testing of device drivers under various conditions, including fault injection and environmental influences, without the need for real hardware, within a virtualization environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hardware-in-the-loop testing with real devices is used, then testing accuracy and reliability are improved, but equipment cost and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical device through a device emulator that replicates device behavior, timing characteristics, and environmental responses. This virtual model allows comprehensive testing without requiring physical hardware, thereby reducing time consumption while maintaining testing accuracy through programmatic control of test scenarios
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring the device emulator with predetermined test conditions, fault scenarios, and environmental parameters before actual testing begins. This allows test sequences to be prepared and executed automatically, eliminating setup time and enabling parallel testing of multiple scenarios
2Reliability
If hardware-in-the-loop testing with real devices is used, then testing accuracy and reliability are improved, but equipment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive physical testing equipment with a software-based device emulator that runs on standard computing hardware. This virtual model replicates device behavior and environmental conditions, eliminating the need for costly specialized equipment while maintaining testing fidelity through accurate emulated responses
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes mechanical and physical testing systems with a software-based emulation architecture. The device emulator uses programmatic control to simulate hardware behavior, replacing physical test equipment, climate chambers, and electrical testing devices with virtual equivalents that run on standard computer hardware
3Productivity
If software-based device emulator is used, then productivity and automation are improved, but complexity of the testing system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal device emulator architecture that can simulate multiple different device types and scenarios through configuration rather than requiring separate physical hardware for each test case. This multi-functional approach increases productivity by enabling diverse testing on a single platform while managing complexity through standardized emulation interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the device emulator as an intermediary layer between the test control system and the virtual device model. This mediator handles the complexity of device behavior simulation, timing management, and environmental response generation, shielding the test controller from complexity while enabling high-speed automated testing
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method, a computer program with instructions, and a device for qualifying a device driver for a device. After initiating (10) a test environment, a test of the device driver is performed (11). In this test, (12) a device emulator emulates the behavior of the device under predefined conditions. During the test, the device emulator performs a fault injection or a test of at least a rarely occurring case (13).