How to make virtual prototyping better than designing with hardware: Part 2
Virtual prototypes are much more conducive to design automation because the environmental stimulus is just another component of the simulation. Careful control of the stimuli results in deterministic behavior of the product simulation.
Sometimes tool integrations are still required (for example a debugger, Matlab or LabView), but complexity is reduced to the exchange of information via control APIs and configuration files rather than cables, networks, and manual setup of test panels.
Users of VP prototypes are able to automate the testing process via software scripts eliminating the need for custom equipment and cables. Flash memory is simply loaded with a program image rather than re-flashed with complicated tools on the real hardware. Finally, the virtual prototype is truly time share-able as each user can have their custom configuration without fear of breaking anothers test setup.
Running these tests nightly allows for much faster feedback of code changes. For one particular airbag controller project, the engineering team implemented a daily execution of 14 scripts on two different ECU configurations. Developers were required to supplement those tests for each new or changed ECU function with a self-test that exercised the functionality.
Test examples include accelerometer and input sensor data filtering, deployment loop configuration and activation, event recording, serial EEPROM read/write, and manufacturing diagnostics. The productivity of the team was accelerated because each team member could run tests prior to and after a firmware change and did not need to be an expert in all areas of the ECU.
The hardware and software aspects of VP make this possible. Even though physical prototypes were available there was no easy to way automate running test cases on them.
Assigning a resource to continuously run the physical tests each day would have pulled away a resource that could be developing the product; however, running the VP test scripts nightly did not require any additional resources beyond setting up the test environment.
Increasing product complexity demands continuous unit and regression testing. Virtual Prototypes facilitate this repeatability testing due to close integration of the environmental stimulus and deterministic behavior.
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