Software architecture of Integrated Modular Avionics software testing environment

Abstract

Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) software testing is critical for the quality of the IMA system. The software testing environment (STE) employed within the federated avionics is not suitable for the IMA software due to the increased complexity and dynamic reconfiguration in the highly integrated software architecture. It creates new challenges for the software testing and verification of the IMA system. This paper proposes a solution on the IMA STE. The software testing requirements (STR) are analysis based on the summarization of the IMA software architecture characteristics. An STE satisfying the STR with three-layered software architecture is proposed. Through the employment of the task-based testing simulation models and the testing blueprint, the two important concerns of the STE which are the real time testing data stimulation and collection and the dynamic testing configurations are appropriately resolved. It provides a practical approach to testing the IMA software. The applicability and correctness of the STE software architecture are validated based on a prototype system testing.