The method of hardware mutation for debugging complex onboard spacecrafts equipment

The solution to the problem of increasing the quality of ground tests of spacecrafts onboard radio-electronic equipment is proposed. The solution is based on the use of the author's technique of mutation testing for ground tests. It is based on the simulation of the process of functioning hardware and software under the influence of space factors. The results of the development of this technique and examples of its applying for ground tests of spacecrafts onboard radio-electronic equipment are presented. The proposed approach is based on the use in composition of emulators reconfigurable FPGA. It allows to go to a new quality of ground tests. Application of high-speed FPGA in test equipment allows to achieve a desired speed of functioning and degree of reconfigurability. It allows to simulate functioning of the hardware modules in actual operating conditions. Imitation occurs by introducing the mutation operators in the description of the functional units of the equipment. An algorithm for ground tests and basic stages of testing, which including the process of formalizing the behavior of channels I/O device at each fault is developed. In the framework of the developed technique, in addition to equipment, the mutations are exposed onboard software of embedded microprocessor systems. Laboratory debugging complex for the application of this method is implemented and put into commercial operation. The results of the development of this debugging complex, methods and ways of it applying in special testing of radio-electronic equipment are presented. The results of testing of the laboratory debugging complex and general ways of introduced approach advance are specified.