Projectile Software Testing via Real-Time Data Replay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional software testing methods using synthetic data may not adequately reflect real-world conditions, particularly in applications like high-speed projectile tracking, leading to increased development time and costs due to the need for multiple range/field tests.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes real-time data from sources like radar systems to process and store data related to projectiles, allowing for the conversion and reuse of this data for software testing, eliminating the need for repeated projectile launches by simulating real-time conditions using saved data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If synthetic data is used for software testing, then testing can be performed without real projectile launches, but the test data does not adequately reflect real-world conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data collection during actual projectile flights using radar and other sensors. This real-flight data is then stored and reused for multiple software testing iterations, eliminating the need to conduct repeated physical flights while maintaining high fidelity test conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates accurate digital copies of real-flight data from radar, acoustic, and optical sensors. These data copies replicate actual environmental conditions, projectile trajectories, and sensor readings, allowing software to be tested against realistic scenarios without conducting additional physical tests.
2Reliability
If multiple range/field tests are conducted to achieve compliant software, then accurate environmental conditions are captured, but development time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Comprehensive test data is collected during a single or limited number of real projectile flights. This preliminary data collection captures diverse environmental conditions, trajectories, and sensor responses that can then be reused for extensive software testing and validation without requiring additional flights.
Solution Approach 2:
The system designed to serve multiple functions: it collects real-flight data for its primary purpose while simultaneously capturing comprehensive test data that can be reused across multiple software development iterations and testing scenarios, maximizing the value extracted from each physical flight.
3Measurement precision
If real-time data from projectile flights is collected, then accurate test scenarios can be replicated, but the complexity of data collection and processing systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs intermediate data processing layers that receive raw data from multiple sensors (radar, acoustic, optical), standardize and validate the data formats, and convert them into unified test scenario representations. This intermediary processing simplifies the complexity of integrating multi-source data while maintaining high measurement precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and apparatus for testing software with real-time source data from a projectile according to various aspects of the present invention operate in conjunction with a real-time data source, a signal processor, a recordable medium, and a testing platform. The signal processor receives real-time data from a real-time data source during a test and saves it to a storage medium before providing the real-time data to the testing platform for permanent storage. During a subsequent test, the testing platform may upload the saved real-time data to the signal processor foregoing the need to generate new real-time data from the real-time data source.