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Hardware-In-the-loop TEst Case Specification (HITECS) tool provides methods for specifying and analysing HiL test cases. The tool includes :

HITECS-Editor for specifying HiL test cases using the domain specific language HITECS.
HITECS-ModelChecker to enable verification of HiL test cases for well-behavedness.
HITECS-Simulation to estimate execution times of HiL test cases.
HITECS-Testing to refine uncertainties in HiL test cases.

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Overview

HITECS-TOOL is an "all in one" framework for specifying and analysing HiL test cases. The tool was developed to help engineers :

Systematically specify HiL test cases using the domain specific language HITECS, which extends UTP and uses the textual notation and executable semantics of ALF. The editor is an eclipse application that provides syntax check and errors highlighting.
Check the well-behavedness of HiL test cases properties in terms of assertions. HITECS language provides guidelines to specify complete and more effective assertions in order to check the correctness of the requirement. HITECS-ModelCheck can be used to detect automatically uncertain properties in test specifications.
Estimate execution times of HiL test cases via HITECS-Simulation. HITECS generates randomised HiL test cases traces and analyses them using annotation semantics.
Refine uncertainties in HiL test cases by restricting the input space. HITECS-Testing combines Monte Carlo simulation and machines learning techniques to ensure precision and well-behavedness of HiL test cases.

In addition, HITECS-TOOL includes a code generator to translate HITECS specifications into JAVA code.

Tool maturity

HITECS-TOOL has been empirically evaluated using a real in-orbit-testing case study from the the satellite domain. Our evaluation is based on fourteen representative HiL test scenarios from our industry partner, SES Networks. Using textual documents provided by our industry partner on in-orbit testing procedures, we created HITECS specifications using our HITECS-Editor.

We checked the well-behavedness of the test cases by adding complete assertions and using HITECS-ModelChecker. In addition, for each test case in our study, we obtained historical data files from real word executions which allow us to estimate the execution times.

We detected 18 uncertainties in the fourteen test cases due to unknown variables that can only be determined at time of HiL testing and we successfully restricted their input space using HITECS-Testing.

Relevant publications

Seung Yeob Shin, Karim Chaouch, Shiva Nejati, Mehrdad Sabetzadeh, Lionel C. Briand, Frank Zimmer "HITECS: A UML Profile and Analysis Framework for Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing of Cyber Physical Systems" ACM/IEEE 21th International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems (MODELS ’18), October 14–19, 2018, Copenhagen, Denmark.