LwProf: Lightweight Profiling and Coverage Tool for Embedded Software

摘要

Determining test coverage can be prohibitively expensive in resource constrained embedded systems. Traditional methods for determining test coverage often cannot be considered due to the resulting memory impact when enabling coverage. Even if the binary did fit within the size limitations of the target system, the execution slowdown can significantly change the behavior of a real-time system, giving test results that may not reflect the final application. In this work, we develop a tool, LwProf, that implements an optimized version of traditional profiling techniques for embedded systems. The tool is compared to existing coverage tools to determine the difference in efficiency and effectiveness. When compared to traditional methods, LwProf has a factor of two reduction in code size, a factor of four reduction in data size, and an order of magnitude improvement on the execution speed overhead, enabling coverage and profiling on existing embedded systems.