Innovative Cost-Effective Embedded System to Enhance ECU Firmware Quality Through Remote Hybrid Testing in Automotive Domain

This paper addresses the challenge of ensuring quality control for electronic control units (ECUs) in the automotive industry. Traditional hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems, used for software quality assurance, are costly and not always readily available, leading to potential delays in software verification and release. This paper investigates the factors causing these delays and proposes process task workflow optimization using a hybrid testing approach. This approach allows software developers to conduct early integration and system testing for embedded software, complementing the formal validation stage. To support this, the paper presents a novel piece of test equipment called TestBench, which utilizes inexpensive embedded hardware like the Arduino Mega2560, which can carry out the fundamental tasks needed to test the ECU. TestBench enables local testing, remote accessibility, and the monitoring of key parameters, including voltage current consumption, and the communication bus. It also facilitates fault injection for the evaluation of communication protocol robustness. By enabling earlier and more frequent testing, TestBench aims to enhance the quality of software developer outputs and the overall quality of ECU-embedded software. The system has the potential to significantly improve the testing process, making advanced testing capabilities more accessible and cost-effective for engineering teams and educational institutions.