Atomyste: ATOm splitting in eMbedded sYStems TEsting (TES.5417)

The Atomyste-project aims at developing methods and tools to cope with the problem of atom splitting (or action refinement) in automatic, formal conformance testing of embedded, reactive software systems. Atom splitting involves the change in granularity of test primitives from test derivation to test implementation. This change has semantic consequences which are currently not well-understood, but which may have severe implications for the validity and soundness of the derived tests. The starting points for Atomyste are the theories of action refinement and of conformance testing. The purpose is to combine these theories in such a way that semantically sound and practically usable methods and tools can be developed to support atom splitting in testing.

The Atomyste-project is associated with the embedded systems project Côte de Resyste (Conformance TEsting of REactive SYSTEms), supported by the regular programme of STW[18]. Côte de Resyste aims at developing algorithms, methods and tools for automatic conformance testing of reactive systems based on formal specifications. While carrying out case studies in Côte de Resystethe problem of atom splitting in testing was identified as as an important problem. This problem is not covered by Côte de Resyste in its current form, nor can it be included because of the complexity of the problem and the fact that it has results of Atomyste will be integrated into the test methodology and test tools of Côte de Resyste, thus enhancing their usability and applicability.

This proposal is supported by Philips Research Laboratories Eindhoven and Lucent Technologies { Bell Lab Innovations, both of which are also involved in Côte de Resyste, and by Ordina through its subsidiary companies Ordina Utopics Validatie Technologie and High Tech Automation.

For results, see http://fmt.cs.utwente.nl/projects/ATOMYSTE-html/

Five companies are involved in this project.