Background
When debugging redundant systems, the application of "classic" embedded software development often comes to a limit: system-internal failure detectors react on desired (e.g. breakpoints) or undesired (e.g. modification of timing behaviour) influences by the debugging tools, and cause the target software to react.
SPY-Technology
Aviotech's SPY Technology is a debugging solution for the application in distributed redundant systems with cycle-oriented processing. Its key features are:
- Common (virtual) time base within the network, even between non-synchronized network nodes.
- (pseudo-)synchronous real-time monitoring and -manipulation in several targets.
- Supporting >50 network nodes (CPUs )
- SPY-Protokoll can be implemented on top of principally arbitrary network protocols, e.g. Ethernet, CAN or FlexRay.
- Graphical user interface GVITE for control, visualization and logging
- SPY functionality is completely scriptable
The SPY approach comprisis three parts:
- The SPY-Server is part of each target node within the network: it serves monitoring and manipulation tasks (+ additional commands as required). A reference implemention in plain C is available.
- The SPY-Client realizes the communication with all SPY Servers in the network. The Clientis executed in a real-time test system. Often, a dedicated mini PC is used, but integration into a bigger testing (e.g. HiL-)environment is also possible.
- Host PC with Vite-GUI: controls the SPY debugger and realizes data visualization and logging.
