Failure mode testing tool set for automotive electronic controllers

The increasing complexity of automotive controllers requires the development and application of advanced tools to meet the challenges of software and systems integration testing. In the paper, a real-time hardware-in-the-loop simulation facility is presented for software verification. A dynamic laboratory environment, similar to the actual vehicle, facilitates the investigation and documentation of controller performance for prescribed operating scenarios. To support the verification of diagnostic software, a modular failure mode interface has been developed. A set of six failure modes is defined to automate the introduction of degradations into the controller´s environment. The computer-controlled scheduler utility enables test sequences to be scheduled in a precise manner, while the data acquisition strategy logs time-synchronized data to verify the controller´s operation. Three simulation test methods are presented for software verification. To demonstrate the capabilities and potential applications of this tool set, a series of manifold absolute pressure sensor failures is discussed