Communication Protocol Conformance Testing - Example LIN -

Current automobiles have made significant progress in increased safety and comfort, higher fuel efficiency, less pollution, easier handling, etc. All this is due to the tremendous evolution in electronics, which offer higher performance at lower cost at a very rapid pace. As such vehicle electronics have become very large and complex distributed systems, comprising up to 100 networked electronic control units -ECUs. Guaranteeing a high quality of these very complex systems is an urging requirement of current and future highly complex systems. This can be achieved by introducing more and more standard modules in hardware and/or software -AutoSar worldwide standardization efforts are showing the way. As these standard modules typically will be supplied by different suppliers -this will lead to additional cost cut -the problem of guaranteeing interoperability between networked ECUs, containing mixed suppliers standard sub-modules. Experience shows that the specification of standard modules in most cases is not sufficiently precise. Therefore the interoperability of distributed ECUs is endangered. A proven means to reduce the risk of lacking interoperability of standard modules in cooperating ECUs are conformance tests. This paper discusses the interoperability problem referring to example of LIN network standard hardware/software modules. The typical specification process for related conformance tests, the implementation architecture and some test experience is described.