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| Case Study |
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Improved Verification and Validation of automotive ECUs enables leading automotive supplier reduce defect rates |
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By using a series of automation techniques and proprietary frameworks, Patni enabled a leading automotive
supplier significantly reduce its delivery time while improving quality.
The Client
The client is a leading manufacturer of automotive and non-automotive technology systems and components. It also develops automotive instrument panel clusters for some of the major OEMs.
The Challenge
In an extremely competitive market, the client was facing a huge challenge in adequately testing its huge range of automotive
Electronic Control Unit (ECU) systems. This is a complex and timeconsuming task as each ECU has to be tested for multiple functions that it performs in controlling one or more of the sub systems in a vehicle.
This challenge was compounded by the fact that the client did not have a streamlined verification and validation process for testing the ECUs. Most of the system validation activities for ECUs were done manually leading to a high post-implementation time for regular releases of new versions of products. There was also no formal mechanism of defect reporting and raceability
With limited bandwidth or scalability for validating the ECUs, the client faced a situation where the test coverage was limited, and the possibility of undetected defects increased substantially.
The Solution
Patni conducted a thorough study of the client's application functionality, testing environment and testing process. A team of experienced engineers with experience of working on CAN (Control Area Network) based ECUs was deployed. This team had
the domain knowledge and experience of interpreting technical specifications, diagnostics mechanisms and communication interfaces in an automotive ECU
Subsequently, this team conducted detailed interviews with QA personnel and other stakeholders. This was followed by a complete review of the sample component technical specifications, test artifacts, test plans and test cases was conducted to
find out gaps, if any in the testing process
The Patni team then developed a framework using Vector CAN tools to automate the ECU testing process. This was achieved by doing a thorough analysis of the customer's needs, system constraints and the available tools. The Patni team also
created standardized templates during the validation cycle which allowed the client to reuse the artifacts over release cycles for different product lines. As a result, the validation time was reduced significantly.
The Technology
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Hardware: High-speed and Single-wire CAN based ECUs, Instrument Panel clusters, Body Control module |
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Diagnostics framework: GMLAN, KWP2000 |
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Software: CAN-based tools from Vector Informatik, like CANoe, CANalyzer, CANdb |
The Benefits
By partnering with Patni, the client streamlined its test process,
reduced cycle time, and improved productivity. Other
significant benefits include:
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Reduced validation time: By using automation and
reusable templates, the client has been able to reduce the
validation cycle from a period of 6-8 weeks to 2-3 weeks.
Patni team is further automating this cycle and is
attempting to reduce the validation cycle to within a
week’s time |
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Improved quality: By outsourcing to Patni, the client has
gained the capability of increasing the test coverage. The
test coverage for technical specifications has improved
from 60% to approximately 90%. This has been achieved
through rigorous reviews of the test scenarios and
widening the validation scope. This has enabled the client
to improve the performance and quality levels required by
demanding clients |
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Increased consistency in testing: With automated testing,
tests are more consistent as they perform exactly the
same operations each time they are run. This has
eliminated the possibility of defects arising from manual
testing. |
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