ASAM has recently released the ASAM OpenTestSpecification concept paper. The project has emerged from the identified need to standardize test specifications and offer compatibility across automotive testing tools and test execution in different environments. The aim is to streamline testing processes, improve the reusability of test artefacts and facilitate Validation. The vision is to enable an ecosystem where test specifications can be developed, applied and exchanged with improved efficiency, thus improving collaboration among regulators, OEMs, suppliers or tool vendors.
ASAM is now initiating a follow-up project. This project aims to extend three major ASAM standards, ASAM ODS, ASAM OTX Extensions, and ASAM XIL, with the goal to align their development with the requirements outlined in the concept paper.
At the proposal workshop, the project tasks were defined as following:
- ASAM TestSpecification Architecture and Concepts
This cluster shall extend some of the concepts that had not been sufficiently detailed out in the past concept project. It shall be divided into the following subgroups:
Subgroup Architecture – This subgroup focuses on the realization of all cross-standard activities by using the ACC example and the “4-layer architecture” from the former concept project.
Subgroup TestSpecification Concepts – This subgroup deals with the optimization and analysis of further potential for extending the test specification language aspects. This group shall work in parallel to the ASAM “OTX Extension for Test Description” subgroup. The goal is to identify future extensions which are not addressed in the current project but might be developed in a follow-up project.
Major topics are concepts for a TestSpecification format (additional representation formats for ASAM OTX) including the view on the so-called Test Models and modeling and abstracting the test specification around test models with a focus on a common data model.
- ASAM ODS
Subgroup ASAM ODS Data Model for Test Specification
This work group shall develop a proof-of-concept (PoC) for a data model to define the necessary business objects for the testing process. The key tasks are to understand the use case, map the information workflow, and provide an ASAM ODS model. The outcome will be a detailed data model definition, possibly leading to a new standard and its integration into the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) developed in the past concept project. The group will also assess the ASAM ODS Associated Standard ‘openMDM data model’ for suitability and project compatibility.
Subgroup data transition in the Test Architecture
This work package defines the data flow between different stages of the testing process (specification, implementation, execution), specifying which data needs to be transferred and how this relates to the flexibility of the data model. It outlines the relationship between ASAM ODS and the subgroup ‘Architecture’ from the ASAM TestSpecification cluster, including data flow and enrichment. Once the test specification subgroup (1.2.1) delivers initial outputs, the interaction between ASAM OTX test descriptions and the ASAM ODS Test Data Management system will be defined, focusing on read access during testbed operation.
- ASAM OTX Extensions
Subgroup ASAM OTX Extension for ASAM XIL
One or more OTX extensions shall be developed to access ASAM XIL. The goal is to enable access to the ASAM XIL API from within OTX. Similar to the OTX extension ‘DiagCom’ or the ASAM SOVD extensions, ASAM OTX will be expanded with new data types, actions, and terms to utilize all functions of the ASAM XIL API that are meaningful within the OTX context.
Subgroup ASAM OTX Extension for test description
The proposals developed in the MVP are merely rough examples (new OTX signatures and types of OTX procedures) that demonstrate the extensibility of ASAM OTX. Therefore, in an initial phase, all requirements for the general test description should first be structured and evaluated using SHALL and SHOULD criteria. Based on these requirements, a concept for extending the OTX core data model will be developed and transformed into a new ASAM OTX extension.
- ASAM XIL
Subgroup Scenario based testing
This subgroup will explore how to extend the ASAM XIL standard for better implementation and execution of scenario-based tests. First, the group will analyze collected user stories and derive requirements for scenario-based testing, which will guide future work. In a next step, the group will examine ASAM OpenSCENARIO and all other ASAM OpenX standards to identify reusable elements, gaps, and solutions, even beyond ASAM XIL. A concept will then be developed to implement these requirements, possibly extending or adding new XIL ports. The final step is to implement the necessary changes to ASAM XIL, update the specification, and provide tests and examples for the new interfaces.
It is intended that these clusters and subgroups are working in parallel. In order for the subgroups to be realized, a minimum of three companies is required to participate. Subgroups where multiple standards are affected, two companies per Standard are required to participate.