Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT) has developed an Automated Test and ReTest (ATRT) capability to create assurance tests directly from an Architecture Analysis and Design Language (AADL) system model. This effort has evolved over two phases of a U.S. Army contract with the goal of reducing aviation mission system integration testing time and increasing assurance by developing automated test tools that support a model-based system development process. IDT partnered with Carnegie Mellon’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI) to help provide the model-based testing capability for this effort.
For Phase I of the contract, the team met the following technical objectives:
- Designed and built a representative verifiable AADL prototype model.
- Designed and built a prototype AADL interface into ATRT.
- Demonstrated system data acquired by test matched the AADL modeled flow and behavior specification, proving the AADL interface into ATRT is a high-fidelity capability.
After completing Phase I, IDT was awarded a Phase II contract and met the following technical objectives:
- Extended the initial set of supported model-based testing AADL features within a complex composite AADL model.
- Demonstrated the application using data collected from a distributed real-time system.
- Designed and productized the application so it can be adapted to a range of Systems Under Test (SUTs).
- Conducted a transition event that will be a government acceptance test.
- Delivered installed application for early adopters at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6.
During Phase II, the team created a live mock-up of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as well as a virtual UAV for use as the SUT to demonstrate these extended capabilities. The virtualized UAV was simulated with the addition of three environmental sensors to record data. ATRT used recorded data from the SUT to perform automated test and analysis of the system by using the behavior and requirements as described in the AADL model. IDT’s design for integrating AADL supports the capability of distributed testing across the system’s development cycle to include requirements capture, system design, system performance, unit test, and system certification. By using ATRT to integrate automated test using AADL, a system designer maximizes the use of test planning resources since future tests can be planned based on previous results and trend analysis.
IDT developed a plugin for SEI’s Open Source AADL Tool Environment (OSATE) which converts implementation instances of end-to-end flows into IDT’s file format. These files are then used by ATRT software to automate testing of the system behavior and requirements defined in the AADL model. The system tester can install IDT’s OSATE plugin directly through the OSATE interface and make it accessible on the OSATE user bar.
The UAV model, developed in OSATE, contains components, structure, and properties that specify architecturally significant characteristics of design choices. The model captures the UAV system behavior and specifies design characteristics and requirements that the SUT should meet to be considered an acceptable design. During the Phase II contract, IDT implemented the following UAV features in the model which are available for testing with ATRT:
- End-to-end flow of data and/or events
- Latency between logical components
- Modes attached to threads
- Communication bus bandwidth
- Power bus capacity
- System and component weight
- Resource utilization of bound loads (memory, CPU)
- Error flow
- Functional hazard analysis
- Fault tree analysis
- Data access and subprograms
At the conclusion of the Phase II, IDT proved that all these system features can be accurately represented in an AADL model and extended to generate code that is consumable with IDT’s ATRT technology. Data gathered from the SUT are automatically tested multiple times against these model specifications and a complete diagnosis of the systems requirements are accessible for analysis.
IDT is working to transition this effort to a Phase III contract and also to apply this model-based testing methodology to a U.S. Army program that may benefit from using ATRT technology. For more information or to discuss using this technology on your DOD program which uses AADL, please contact IDT here and include ATRT / AADL in the message.
Innovative Defense Technologies (IDT) is a leading provider of high-performance solutions for large, complex, mission-critical systems in the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Using patented Automated Test and ReTest (ATRT) technology and the ATRT Enterprise Platform (AEP), IDT develops solutions that enable its DOD customers to more rapidly field warfare capabilities. The core of IDT’s mission is to deliver disruptive innovation in support the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who defend our nation every day. Founded in 2006, the company is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia and has additional offices in California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. IDTus.com.