ecu.test Release 2024.4

For years, UserToolAdapters have offered the option of connecting your own tools to ecu.test. The range of functions was always limited to job calls and simple properties in the test bench configuration.

With the release of 2024.2, we therefore introduced the UserTool as a more powerful successor. Since then, it has been functionally enhanced and is now at a new level of performance.

From now on, you can create your own Model ports on the UserTool. They unlock symbolic test creation using your own tools.

• Display of the variables in the action window (Model tab)
• Use of read and write test steps
• Variant handling and test bench independence through mapping
• Signal recording and analysis of the recording in the trace
• Synchronization with simulation time and control of simulation

Based on the Model port, the UserTool also supports the model based bus port that was introduced with ecu.test 2024.3.

ecu.test 2024.4 introduces a new Command Line Interface (CLI) that makes it much easier to use in Docker and CI environments. This new CLI enables user to specifically execute a project or package in a defined workspace - without the detour via an additional Python environment and REST API. In addition to reducing dependencies and simplifying maintenance, this also saves execution time.

The new CLI provides the basis for further planned use cases and functional enhancements to make the use of ecu.test in CI environments even more efficient.

All features of the hardware-related bus connections can now also be used under Linux in combination with the socket CAN interface.
This includes the functional scope of ecu.test diagnostics and ecu.test calibration.
A wide range of different measurement hardware is supported, including:

• ETAS
• Kvaser
• Peak

and many more, see notes from the Linux kernel.

During setup and commissioning of real or virtual test benches, the need for manual testing or debugging arises regularly. In particular, test bench engineers and integrators want to be able to monitor and analyze the network traffic of Ethernet and classic buses live. Since version 2024.3, ecu.test offers the option of using the free and established network analysis software Wireshark for this purpose.

trace.xplorer, which is included in ecu.test, allows additional recording interfaces to be added in Wireshark. Previously, this was limited to the use of the Vector XL Driver Library and the Vector SIL Kit. With ecu.test 2024.4, the range of available interfaces has been significantly extended: in addition to Ethernet, CAN and CAN-FD, the bus system LIN is now also supported. And for capturing network traffic from classic buses, hardware measurement boxes from popular manufacturers such as HMS, PEAK, Technica or TOSUN can be used.

Setting up the Wireshark interfaces can be done very easily via a dialog in trace.xplorer. It is able to detect the installation status of the configured interfaces and, for example, repair them at the click of a button after changing the ecu.test version.

This solution provides deep insights into bus virtualizations and allows quick diagnosis and correction of problems at new or existing test benches.

Note: Using this feature requires a trace.xplorer license and, if necessary, a suitable measurement box.

Anyone familiar with scenario-based testing knows the following situation: Test cases and scenarios describe sequences that are executed in parallel. This results in the necessity for the test cases to react to the scenario sequence.

In ecu.test 2024.4, you have easy access to the maneuvers defined in the scenario for all vehicles involved. If the corresponding steps are included in the test case, it is possible to wait for the start or end of a maneuver.

This new wait step makes it possible to perform certain actions in the test case immediately after recognizing the maneuver changes. Examples are checks and also stimulations at the model, bus, measurement and diagnostic level.

The maneuver abstraction functionality has been implemented for the CarMaker and VTD connection in this ecu.test release.

We would be happy to discuss your use cases with you if, in addition to simple maneuver access, further information such as traffic signs, traffic lights, other static objects or even dynamic scenario information is required in order to react to it in test cases (support@tracetronic.com).