Development of a flight software testing methodology

The research to develop a testing methodology for flight software is described. An experiment was conducted in using assertions to dynamically test digital flight control software. The experiment showed that 87% of typical errors introduced into the program would be detected by assertions. Detailed analysis of the test data showed that the number of assertions needed to detect those errors could be reduced to a minimal set. The analysis also revealed that the most effective assertions tested program parameters that provided greater indirect (collateral) testing of other parameters. In addition, a prototype watchdog task system was built to evaluate the effectiveness of executing assertions in parallel by using the multitasking features of Ada

A methodology for testing fault-tolerant software

A methodology for testing fault tolerant software is presented. There are problems associated with testing fault tolerant software because many errors are masked or corrected by voters, limiter, or automatic channel synchronization. This methodology illustrates how the same strategies used for testing fault tolerant hardware can be applied to testing fault tolerant software. For example, one strategy used in testing fault tolerant hardware is to disable the redundancy during testing. A similar testing strategy is proposed for software, namely, to move the major emphasis on testing earlier in the development cycle (before the redundancy is in place) thus reducing the possibility that undetected errors will be masked when limiters and voters are added

Executable assertions and flight software

Executable assertions are used to test flight control software. The techniques used for testing flight software; however, are different from the techniques used to test other kinds of software. This is because of the redundant nature of flight software. An experimental setup for testing flight software using executable assertions is described. Techniques for writing and using executable assertions to test flight software are presented. The error detection capability of assertions is studied and many examples of assertions are given. The issues of placement and complexity of assertions and the language features to support efficient use of assertions are discussed

Dynamic assertion testing of flight control software

Digital Flight Control System (DFCS) software was used as a test case for assertion testing. The assertions were written and embedded in the code, then errors were inserted (seeded) one at a time and the code executed. Results indicate that assertion testing is an effective and efficient method of detecting errors in flight software. Most errors are eliminate at an earlier stage in the development than before

Transformation of Realism: Narrator’s Function and the Blending of Dialogue and Stream of Consciousness in To the Lighthouse and Between the Acts

This Honors thesis analyzes two narrative works by Virginia Woolf: her seventh novel, To the Lighthouse, and her final novel, Between the Acts. My analysis consists of two major components: I look at Woolf’s post-impressionist poetics and I examine, by way of a critical approach based on narrative theory, the construction of these poetics. Throughout, my interest is that of showing the transformation of classic realist representation of reality in these two novels. This transformation, I argue, is very subtly constructed through the narrator’s function, and the blending of dialogue and stream of consciousness

Dynamic assertion testing of flight control software

An experiment in using assertions to dynamically test fault tolerant flight software is described. The experiment showed that 87% of typical errors introduced into the program would be detected by assertions. Detailed analysis of the test data showed that the number of assertions needed to detect those errors could be reduced to a minimal set. The analysis also revealed that the most effective assertions tested program parameters that provided greater indirect (collateral) testing of other parameters

Music as Narrative in American College Football

American college football features an enormous amount of music woven into the fabric of the event, with selections accompanying approximately two-thirds of a game’s plays. Musical selections are controlled by a number of forces, including audio and video technicians, university marketing departments, financial sponsors, and wind bands. These blend together in a complex design that offers audible and visual stimulation to the audience during the game’s pauses. The music chosen for performance in these moments frequently communicates meaning beyond entertainment value. Selections reinforce the game’s emotional drive, cue celebrations, direct specific audience actions, and prompt behaviors that can directly impact the game. Beyond this, music is performed to buttress the successes of the home team, and to downplay its failures. As this process develops over the course of the game, the musical selections construct a sonic narrative that comments on the game’s action, enhancing or suppressing audience members’ emotional reactions to the events on-field, and informing their understanding of the game’s developments. By preparing for and responding to in-game situations, music creates a coherent narrative out of football’s unpredictable events. This project demonstrates the use of musical narrative in American college football via close consideration of case studies of games representing five of the most prominent college athletic conferences, the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big 10, the Big 12, the Pac 12, and the Southeastern Conference. These sources include interviews with college football’s musical agents, including sound operators, band directors, and producers, as well as documentation of the games’ on-field developments and the music that accompanies them. Finally, this project utilizes of musical narrative as a new means of critically considering the power lines of race and gender in college football culture

The Watchdog Task: Concurrent error detection using assertions

The Watchdog Task, a software abstraction of the Watchdog-processor, is shown to be a powerful error detection tool with a great deal of flexibility and the advantages of watchdog techniques. A Watchdog Task system in Ada is presented; issues of recovery, latency, efficiency (communication) and preprocessing are discussed. Different applications, one of which is error detection on a single processor, are examined

Fungal Genetics Stock Center Catalogue of Strains

Catalogue of Strains, 11th edition, 2006, supplement to Fungal Genetics Newsletter No. 53. This catalogue contains lists of materials held by the Fungal Genetics Stock Center