Systematic Software Testing of Critical Embedded Digital Devices in Nuclear Power Applications

Athira Varma Jayakumar, Smitha Gautham, D. Richard Kuhn, Brandon J. Simon, Aidan G. Collins, Thomas Dirsch, Raghu Kacker, Carl R. Elks

Abstract: While design assurance and testing methods for safety-critical systems have been widely researched and studied for years across a number of industry domains, there are few efforts reported in the literature on the actual application of software testing methods to nuclear power digital I&C systems or devices. We see this as a gap in the knowledge basis. The motivation for this research was to investigate the efficacy and challenges that arise when planning, automating and conducting systematic software testing on actual real-time embedded digital devices. In this paper, we present results on the application of a systematic testing methodology called Pseudo-Exhaustive testing. The systematic testing methods were applied at the unit and module integration levels of the software. The findings suggest that Pseudo Exhaustive testing supported by automated testing technology is an effective approach to testing real-time embedded digital devices in critical nuclear applications.