Assertion-based monitoring in practice – Checking correctness of an automotive sensor interface

This paper provides an evaluation of the assertion-based monitoring technology for mixed-signal systems applied to a real-world case study from the automotive domain. We first motivate the case study by presenting the state-of-the-practice verification and validation work-flow typically used in the automotive industry. We identify the shortcomings of this work-flow, and propose a more rigorous and automated methodology based on monitoring correctness of simulated mixed signal designs with respect to Signal Temporal Logic (STL) assertions, which formalize the requirements from the design specification. We apply this assertion-based monitoring framework to check the correctness of a Distributed System Interface (DSI3) mixed-signal protocol implementation in a modern airbag system-on-chip application. We present all the relevant steps in our proposed work-flow and evaluate the results. We discuss potential benefits of the framework and identify its current shortcomings. Finally, we propose a number of future research directions based on the case study outcome.