Y2K-TESTING - Excellent document on testing embedded systems
aieg.org
This is a very comprehensive document on how to test embedded systems. The following was particularly interesting to me:
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'1.1 Executive Summary
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It is important to recognize that judgment must be exercised to decide which tests apply to a specific component or system. Time spent planning will be paid back many times, since experience has shown that much time is wasted if the test procedures are not organized in the most efficient order for actually performing the tests.'
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'Where these methods prove out, a large reduction in test effort can be reduced to simply bench testing the PLC code. Some vendors are currently developing programs to scan the logic for their more popular products; as information is collected this document will be updated.'
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'1.3 Control System Component Type
The following sections describe the categories or component types of computer based devices typically used in manufacturing & facilities systems. This information summarizes the equipment which may be affected by Year 2000 problems and matches the inventory process. As the complexity of a control system increases, the probability also increases that a date related problem exists. For the purpose of defining test requirements, the microprocessor based devices and control systems encountered in the manufacturing environment are grouped by the following component types:
HMI
Weld Controller
Instrumentation
Specialized Systems
Motion Control
PLC
Information Co-processor
Robot
CNC
Vision System
BIOS
PC/Micro/Mini
Software
Software-Custom
Integrator
This list is ordered generally by increasing level of complexity of the control system class and the level of testing required. It is not possible to test a complex system 100%, but a reasonable effort can be made to identify Year 2000 problems with a limited number of test case scenarios. ( See section 2.3 Which Tests Apply )'
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Extensive list of different date rollovers to be tested:
'3.1 Critical Date Values for Year 2000 Testing
The following dates should be tested for proper operation:
1.0000-00-00 Special Value
2.1998-12-31 Rollover, Reboot
3.1999-01-01 Special Value
4.1999-09-09 Special Value
5.1999-12-31 Special Value, Rollover, Reboot
6.2000-01-01 Day of Week, Day of Year
7.2000-02-28 Rollover, Reboot
8.2000-02-29 Rollover, Reboot, Day of Week
9.2000-03-01 Day of Week
10.2000-12-31 Rollover, Reboot, Day of Week, Day of Year 11.2001-01-01 Day of Week, Day of Year '
12.2027-12-31 Rollover, Reboot, Day of Week, Day of Year
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4.2.2 General Test Report Instructions
Result - Pass, Fail, Not Applicable
Effect - I (Inconvenient), S (Severe) or C (Catastrophic)
Severity - scale rating failure from 1 to 10 where:
1.- MILD - misspelled words
2.- MODERATE - misleading or redundant information
3.- ANNOYING - truncated names
4.- DISTURBING - some transactions not processed
5.- SERIOUS - lose a transaction
6.- VERY SERIOUS - incorrect transaction execution
7.- EXTREME - frequent very serious errors
8.- INTOLERABLE - database corruption
9.- CATASTROPHIC - system shutdown
10.- INFECTIOUS - shutdown spreads to other systems |
