Concepts and procedures¶

Trace analyses are made for examining traces with regard to one or several questions. For that purpose each question is specified in the form of a so-called trace step.

An analysis pass is the one-time execution of a trace analysis. Such a pass can treat several traces in parallel. If several traces have been analyzed one after the other that means there have been several passes. Passes become visible in ecu.test mainly in report presentation where they are shown as analysis jobs, one after the other.

Episodes are used within a trace analysis when traces have to be analyzed several times in a row in an analysis pass (multi-pass). Principally, ecu.test is structured in such a way that many analysis tasks can be treated in just one episode (single-pass). Details about when multi-pass treatment is necessary and several episodes must be used are explained in Section on-the-fly signal calculation.

Blocks are used to structure the trace analysis. They do not influence the execution, but are useful to get a clear arrangement in complex use cases.

If-Then-Else blocks can be used to allow execution of certain elements of the trace analysis depending on a specified condition.

IfDef blocks and SwitchDef-Case blocks are used to (de)activate trace steps depending on global constants. Global constants can be defined in a test configuration.

Trigger blocks can be used to search for specific ranges (trigger ranges) within the signal flow. Trace steps of a trigger block will be executed for each trigger range.

Assertions are suitable to hedge trace steps. They can evaluate the results of their contained trace step. That is explained in more detail in section Assertion.

Trace steps define which signals have to be analyzed in which way. Trace steps are based on trace step templates.

Trace step templates serve to specify the analysis instructions independently of concrete traces. For that purpose signal parameters and constant parameters are used in order to make the specification for their later use flexible. After that concrete values are defined for all signal and constant parameters, thus substantiating the specification for the trace in question.

Calculations can be easly and quickly used to calculate, check and evaluate signals by using simple expressions. Common analysis functions like a floating average are already provided for those expressions.

By the usage of plots it is possible to create diagrams for a trace steps or signal recording. The visualization and the condition, when a diagram will be created, can be configured. Created diagrams will be generated and saved into the report after an analysis run. A plot can be configured to create an overview diagram and detailed diagrams of separate result spots and ranges of a trace step.

Generic signals serve to completely uncouple the generation of a trace analysis from the type and number of underlying trace files. Only through assigning a signal from a recording group to a generic signal is the assignment to a concrete signal of a concrete trace file made.

Synchronization can be used in every case before carrying out a trace analysis in order to synchronize traces which are then to be analyzed in parallel. That is explained in more detail in section Synchronization of traces.

An explanation of the terms signal, signal name, trace, trace file, record group, signal group can be found in Section Central terms.