The Open Group has expanded its range of test suites to provide the ability to run major elements on embedded targets. The Open Group calls this an opportunity for leading embedded device suppliers to acquire state-of-the-art test tools to ensure the development of conformant POSIX embedded solutions.

The embedded capability uses an enhanced version of the Test Environment Toolkit and VSXgen Test Frameworks enhanced for cross-compilation and host/target support. The first set of test suites adapted include the VSX4 test suite (the industry leading test suite for the general purpose POSIX.1 interfaces, according to The Open Group), the VSRT test suite (for the POSIX.1b realtime interfaces) and the VSTH test suite (for the POSIX.1c threads interfaces). The embedded versions are known as VSX4-PSE, VSRT-PSE and VSTH-PSE respectively. They are available to license individually or collectively to test the POSIX 1003.13 profile 52.

The embedded test capability allows use of the same rigorous industry standard tests in a hosted device as for multi purpose systems, according to the Open Group. It allows cross compilation of tests on a host, with uploads of the test cases to the embedded device, and communication between the host and the embedded device. A simple message-passing protocol is implemented over the communication channel. Capabilities included are a test case launcher, a test case terminator (for systems where exit() is not supported, and a heartbeat thread.

A white paper is available from the Open Group explaining how the revised Test Environment Toolkit harness has been adapted for testing embedded devices.

The Embedded Test Suites

The Embedded Test Suites includes tests for:

• IEEE POSIX 1003.1-1990 (VSX4-PSE)
• IEEE POSIX 1003.1b-1993/1003.1i-1995 Realtime extension (VSRT-PSE)
• IEEE Std POSIX 1003.1c-1995 Threads (pthreads) extension (VSTH-PSE)
• IEEE POSIX 1003.13-1998 Profile 52 (VSPSE52)

These test suites have been developed as test packages under the Test Environment Toolkit and the VSXgen test framework, allowing them to be run stand-alone, or combined with other relevant VSXgen test packages. Future planned developments include updates for IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003 Edition (POSIX) and the upcoming IEEE Std POSIX 1003.13 profiles revision, and inclusion in the POSIX: Certified by IEEE and The Open Group certification program.

 
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