Cloud based testing of business applications and web services

This paper deals with testing of applications based on the principles of cloud computing. It is aimed to describe options of testing business software in clouds (cloud testing). It identifies the needs for cloud testing tools including multi-layer testing; service level agreement (SLA) based testing, large scale simulation, and on-demand test environment. In a cloud-based model, ICT services are distributed and accessed over networks such as intranet or internet, which offer large data centers deliver on demand, resources as a service, eliminating the need for investments in specific hardware, software, or on data center infrastructure. Businesses can apply those new technologies in the contest of intellectual capital management to lower the cost and increase competitiveness and also earnings. Based on comparison of the testing tools and techniques, the paper further investigates future trend of cloud based testing tools research and development. It is also important to say that this comparison and classification of testing tools describes a new area and it has not yet been done

Development of Variant of Software Architecture Implementation for Low-power General Purpose Microcontrollers by Finite State Machines

As a result of the research, two directions for development of software architecture for low-power general purpose microcontrollers (LPGPM) are identified. The first, classical approach is the development using standard State patterns. The second is the development of programs, algorithms and structures based on mathematical analysis.The first direction is chosen in the work. The variant of the implementation of a typical pattern for development of software architecture (SA) in the form of a finite state machine (FSM) is proposed to discussion. This pattern allows to divide the development of the architectural part of the program for LPGPM and programming the LPGPM hardware. This approach makes it possible to divide the work of the software architect and the work of LPGPM hardware specialists. Advantage of the solution in comparison with the real time operating system (RTOS) is the saving of LPGPM hardware resources. In addition, it improves the readability of code and good testing prospects. The resulting architecture makes it possible to easily accompany the software and switch to other types of microcontroller. The disadvantage is an increase in the required amount of RAM with an increase in the number of states. It is this disadvantage that requires the application not only of experimental and engineering-intuitive methods, but also to continue research in the second direction

An architecture for embedded system communication

Time is a major constraint in the development of most embedded systems. In many cases, the development of embedded software is directly dependent on the development of the embedded systems. This calls for a development framework that enables embedded software and hardware to be developed in parallel. In an attempt to solve the problem, a concept prototype hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation methodology has been proposed and implemented at the Ohio State University for the TMS320LF2407A DSP board. We build on top of that HIL system by rewriting the low level device drivers that allow data and control information to be set simultaneously, thus, creating a software abstraction layer over various devices available on the DSP board. The device drivers allow data access at the processor and the pin level for the devices on the DSP board. This abstraction simulates external devices in a transparent manner using a device driver library that provides the same programming interface to the device simulators as to real devices. Also, it allows for the testing of both real and simulated hardware connected to the DSP board as a part of the embedded system. The main advantages of the framework are rapid prototyping, unit testing and monitoring. We also modify the existing serial line protocol and perform a comparison between the new and the existing protocol and show that the new protocol is efficient for large data transport. This protocol allows for the effective utilization of serial line bandwidth when the DSP board is used for signal processing or voice based applications. We present the virtual testbed as a software development tool. We conclude by exploring the future directions for the applications

High-Precision Measurement of Sine and Pulse Reference Signals using Software-Defined Radio

This paper addresses simultaneous, high-precision measurement and analysis of generic reference signals by using inexpensive commercial off-the-shelf Software Defined Radio hardware. Sine reference signals are digitally down-converted to baseband for the analysis of phase deviations. Hereby, we compare the precision of the fixed-point hardware Digital Signal Processing chain with a custom Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) x86 floating-point implementation. Pulse reference signals are analyzed by a software trigger that precisely locates the time where the slope passes a certain threshold. The measurement system is implemented and verified using the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) N210 by Ettus Research LLC. Applying standard 10 MHz and 1 PPS reference signals for testing, a measurement precision (standard deviation) of 0.36 ps and 16.6 ps is obtained, respectively. In connection with standard PC hardware, the system allows long-term acquisition and storage of measurement data over several weeks. A comparison is given to the Dual Mixer Time Difference (DMTD) and Time Interval Counter (TIC), which are state-of-the-art measurement methods for sine and pulse signal analysis, respectively. Furthermore, we show that our proposed USRP-based approach outperforms measurements with a high-grade Digital Sampling Oscilloscope.Comment: 10 pages, 15 figures, and 4 table

DEVELOPMENT OF VARIANT OF SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE IMPLEMENTATION FOR LOW-POWER GENERAL PURPOSE MICROCONTROLLERS BY FINITE STATE MACHINES

As a result of the research, two directions for development of software architecture for low-power general purpose microcontrollers (LPGPM) are identified. The first, classical approach is the development using standard State patterns. The second is the development of programs, algorithms and structures based on mathematical analysis. The first direction is chosen in the work. The variant of the implementation of a typical pattern for development of software architecture (SA) in the form of a finite state machine (FSM) is proposed to discussion. This pattern allows to divide the development of the architectural part of the program for LPGPM and programming the LPGPM hardware. This approach makes it possible to divide the work of the software architect and the work of LPGPM hardware specialists. Advantage of the solution in comparison with the real time operating system (RTOS) is the saving of LPGPM hardware resources. In addition, it improves the readability of code and good testing prospects. The resulting architecture makes it possible to easily accompany the software and switch to other types of microcontroller. The disadvantage is an increase in the required amount of RAM with an increase in the number of states. It is this disadvantage that requires the application not only of experimental and engineering-intuitive methods, but also to continue research in the second direction

Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Rig for Rapid Prototyping of Battery Management System Algorithms

Testing the performance of a battery management system (BMS) is extensive and crucial due to its importance for the overall battery safety and performance. In this paper, a hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) test bench is presented for rapid prototyping, testing and evaluation of BMS algorithms in real-time. The system is designed to work with real cell packs without any additional electronics or casing. This approach avoids the high cost and effort of building a full battery system and therefore simplifies algorithm testing on different cell types and cell pack topologies. An extended Kalman Filter based state-of-charge-algorithm is developed and compiled in C-Code in MATLAB/Simulink to run on a digital signal processor (DSP) in real-time. The capabilities and advantages of the setup are shown with experimental HiL tests of the developed BMS algorithm in comparison to software-in-the-loop (SiL) tests

Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Rig for Rapid Prototyping of Battery Management System Algorithms

Testing the performance of a battery management system (BMS) is extensive and crucial due to its importance for the overall battery safety and performance. In this paper, a hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) test bench is presented for rapid prototyping, testing and evaluation of BMS algorithms in realtime. The system is designed to work with real cell packs without any additional electronics or casing. This approach avoids the high cost and effort of building a full battery system and therefore simplifies algorithm testing on different cell types and cell pack topologies. An extended Kalman Filter based state-of-charge-algorithm is developed and compiled in C-Code in MATLAB/Simulink to run on a digital signal processor (DSP) in real-time. The capabilities and advantages of the setup are shown with experimental HiL tests of the developed BMS algorithm in comparison to software-in-the-loop (SiL) tests

Condition assessment of transformer insulation during routine partial discharge (PD) tests and in-service monitoring

To compare the results of in-service PD measurements with the results of conventional measurements previously performed during transformer routine testing in the factory, the use of alternative PD methods in the factory is proposed. The effective comparison of PD data results is possible with a measuring system with advanced hardware and software features. The minimum requirements of such a versatile PD measurement system are presented, and an example of the comparative measurements with conventional and alternative methods performed on a 1.6 MVA, 20 kV distribution transformer during routine testing is shown. Also, the advantages of having continuous online PD monitoring systems installed on 500 MVA power transformers and 220 kV power cable lines are presented. The PD defect identification and its accurate localization made it possible to avoid a serious service failure

Real-time digital signal processing system for normal probe diffraction technique

Ultrasonic systems are widely used in many fields of non-destructive testing. The increasing requirement for high quality steel product stirs the improvement of both ultrasonic instruments and testing methods. The thesis indicates the basics of ultrasonic testing and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology for the development of an ultrasonic system. The aim of this project was to apply a new ultrasonic testing method - the Normal Probe Diffraction method to course grained steel in real-time and investigate whether the potential of probability of detection (POD) has been improved. The theories and corresponding experiment set-up of pulse-echo method, TOFD and NPD method are explained and demonstrated separately. A comparison of these methods shows different contributions made by these methods using different types of algorithms and signals. Non-real-time experiments were carried out on a VI calibration block using an USPC 3100 ultrasonic testing card to implement pulse-echo and NPD method respectively. The experiments and algorithm were simulated and demonstrated in Matlab. A low frequency Single-transmitter-multi-receiver ultrasonic system was designed and built with a digital development board and an analogue daughter card to transmit or receive signals asynchronously. A high frequency high voltage amplifier was designed to drive the ultrasonic probes. A Matlab simulation system built with Simulink indicates that the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) can be improved with an increment of up to 3dB theoretically based on the simulation results using DSP techniques. The DSP system hardware and software was investigated and a real-time DSP hardware system was supposed to be built to implement the high frequency system using a rapid code generated system based on Matlab Simulink model and the method was presented. However, extra effort needs to be taken to program the hardware using a low-level computer language to make the system work stably and efficiently