MPS · Testing
Automotive
Hardware and software testing for automotive electronic control units (ECUs).
An ECU combines electronics, embedded software and vehicle interfaces. A test plan checks correct behavior, robustness and fault handling throughout development.
Hardware testing
Electrical supply & power management
Check operation during normal supply conditions and vehicle electrical disturbances.
- Under/overvoltage, cranking profiles, supply interruptions and recovery
- Reverse polarity and transient robustness where required by the ECU specification
- Startup, shutdown, sleep/wake behavior and quiescent current
Environmental & mechanical durability
Verify that the ECU withstands the stresses of its intended mounting location.
- High/low temperature operation, thermal cycling and humidity
- Vibration, mechanical shock and connector integrity
- Water, dust and chemical exposure where relevant to the enclosure and installation
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
Measure unwanted emissions and check continued operation in the presence of disturbances.
- Conducted and radiated emissions
- Radiated RF immunity and bulk current injection
- Conducted transients and electrostatic discharge; monitor function during and after exposure
Inputs, outputs & hardware faults
Exercise sensor interfaces and actuator drivers across their specified operating ranges.
- Analog accuracy, digital thresholds, PWM and output-load behavior
- Open circuits, shorts to ground or supply, and overcurrent protection
- Watchdog, reset and memory-error responses where supported
Environmental profiles depend on installation location: ISO 16750 overview. EMC references include CISPR 25, ISO 11452 and ISO 7637: automotive EMC testing overview.
Software testing
Static analysis & unit verification
Find defects early and verify individual software components against their requirements.
- Code review, coding-rule checks and static analysis
- Normal, boundary and invalid inputs; state transitions and error paths
- Structural coverage appropriate to the safety plan; resolve uncovered behavior
Integration, timing & regression
Verify that software components and the target hardware work together.
- Driver, operating-system and application interfaces
- Task timing, CPU load, stack use, memory consumption and resource exhaustion
- Automated regression across software releases, calibrations and ECU variants
Networks & diagnostics
Test the interfaces implemented by the ECU, such as CAN/CAN FD, LIN or automotive Ethernet.
- Message timing, signal encoding, timeouts, bus load and communication recovery
- UDS diagnostic sessions, access control, DTC storage/clearing and data readout where implemented
- Missing, delayed or malformed messages and interactions with other ECUs
Bootloader, updates & data retention
Check installation of valid software and predictable recovery from failed updates.
- Image compatibility, authenticity and integrity checks
- Interrupted programming, restart recovery and rollback policy where supported
- Calibration and nonvolatile-data integrity through resets and power cycles
For diagnostic validation on real and virtual ECUs, see Vector’s diagnostics overview.
From simulation to the vehicle
- Model-in-the-loop (MIL)Exercise control models against simulated vehicle behavior before production code is available.
- Software-in-the-loop (SIL)Run compiled ECU software in a virtual environment for early functional and regression testing.
- Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL)Connect a real ECU to a real-time simulation of sensors, actuators and vehicle networks. Test closed-loop behavior and controlled fault scenarios.
- System & vehicle validationCheck interactions with real ECUs, wiring and loads, then validate representative operating scenarios in the integrated vehicle.
Test environments serve different purposes: SIL validation and HIL validation.
Functional safety & cybersecurity
Functional safety verification
For safety-related functions, derive tests from the safety requirements and assigned Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL).
- Inject specified faults and verify detection, reaction time and the defined safe or degraded state
- Check watchdogs, plausibility checks and other safety mechanisms
- Maintain requirements-to-test traceability and evidence for the safety assessment
Cybersecurity verification
Use the threat analysis and cybersecurity requirements to define security tests.
- Verify secure boot, authenticated updates, access controls and key handling
- Use authorized interface fuzzing and penetration testing in a controlled environment
- Check rejection of unauthorized requests and recovery from communication abuse
Relevant engineering frameworks: ISO 26262-6 — software functional safety and ISO/SAE 21434 — cybersecurity engineering.
Define the test plan and evidence
Select tests and acceptance criteria from the ECU requirements, vehicle architecture, supply voltage, mounting location, safety and security analyses, and applicable OEM specifications. Agree the relevant standard editions, stress levels, durations and permitted functional behavior before testing.
- Record hardware revision, software version, calibration and test configuration.
- Link each test to its requirement and retain measurements, bus traces and pass/fail results.
- Track defects, repeat affected tests after corrections and document remaining limitations.
- Use production end-of-line tests for assembly, programming and basic function; these complement development qualification.
This overview describes common test areas. The applicable test programme is specific to each ECU; passing individual tests alone does not establish standards compliance or vehicle approval.
Contact MPS about your ECU testing requirements