Mimic

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Mimic

• Radical gains in productivity for systems
  integration
• Save 25 in engineering test tool development
• Extremely rapid application development
• Develop test tools 5x faster

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What is Mimic?
What is Mimic?

• The Mimic software application is a systems
  development, integration and test tool used by
  engineers.

• For a typical systems integration project, Mimic
  can save hundreds, perhaps thousands, of
  engineering man-hours
• Example Mimic replaces an 880-hour emulator
  development project and saves 60,000
• Business case spreadsheet calculator helps us
  estimate

• Mimic serves as a universal, human-readable
  emulator and monitor of system components.

• What does this mean?
• How does it do that?

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Communication - Speaking the Same Language
1) Computer systems talk by sending messages to
each other over a network or data bus.
01010101
System 1
System 2
Encode
Decode
Encode
Decode
01010101
ICD (Interface Control Document)
A Geo-location message
5) When receiving a message, a computer must
decode it in a manner compliant with the ICD.
Bytes 0-3
Bytes 4-7
Bytes 8-11
Latitude
Longitude
Altitude
4) When sending a message, a computer must encode
it in a manner compliant with the ICD.
2) Each type of message has a certain structure.
3) The structure of all the messages are defined
in an Interface Control Document, or ICD.
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Testing the Need for an Emulator
System 2 Emulator
System 1
System 2
System 1 Under Test
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Decode
Decode
Encode
Decode
Encode
Why do we need Emulators?
When Engineers test System 1, very often they
need to - stimulate it with incoming messages
and - monitor its outgoing messages
In most situations, System 2 would not be useful
for stimulating and monitoring System 1 -
System 2 may be under development itself -
System 2 may not provide a user interface
So, engineers typically develop an PC-based
Emulator of System 2. The Emulator must provide
a user interface which - stimulates System 1
with incoming messages - monitors System 1s
outgoing messages
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More about Emulators
The Emulator must encode and decode messages in a
manner identical to the real System 2, as
specified in the ICD
Geo-location Msg
System 1 Under Test
Encode
56
Latitude
Decode
-39
Longitude
10000ft
Altitude
Decode
Encode
ICD (Interface Control Document)
The Emulator typically has the message formats
hard-coded into its software. To change the
formats of the messages, you must change the
software.
The Emulator typically has the message formats
hard-coded into its software. To change the
formats of the messages, you must change the
Emulator software.
How do emulators work?
Sending a message
- The user defines the content of a message in
human-readable format - The Emulator encodes
the human-readable data into the format defined
in the ICD and sends the message
Receiving a message

• The Emulator decodes the message data into
  human-readable format according to the ICD
• The Emulator displays the message in
  human-readable format

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Mimic as a Universal Human-Readable Emulator
The Mimic Application Emulating System 2
Like other emulators, Mimic must encode and
decode messages in a manner identical to the
real System 2, as specified in the ICD
System 1 Under Test
Encode
Decode
Decode
Encode
ICD (Interface Control Document)
The Emulator typically has the message formats
hard-coded into its software. To change the
formats of the messages, you must change the
software.
However, instead of containing hard-coded message
formats, Mimic reads the ICD to determine the
message formats and other interface information.
Why emulate using Mimic?

• Human-Readability
• Automatically encodes human-readable data into
  outgoing messages
• Automatically decodes incoming messages into a
  human-readable format

• Universality
• With other emulators, one application only
  emulates one system
• Mimic is Universal it can emulate virtually
  any system

• Transparency to ICD Modifications
• The software of other emulators must change when
  the ICD changes
• Mimic simply reads the modified ICD no
  software changes

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Mimic as a Universal Human-Readable Monitor
In addition to serving as an emulator, Mimic can
also silently monitor the messages transmitted
between two systems.
Decode
System 1 (Under Test)
System 2 (Under Test)
Encode
Decode
Encode
Decode
ICD (Interface Control Document)
Why monitor using Mimic?
When used in monitor mode, Mimic exhibits the
same defining characteristics of
human-readability, universality, and transparency
to ICD modifications as it does while emulating.
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Behavior Objects
Behavior Objects - Problem
Problem

• How do we add dynamic, automated messaging
  behavior to Mimic?

• Examples

• ACK Mimic must send an acknowledge message
  upon receiving a message from System 1

• Command-Status Messaging Mimic must change
  the content of an outgoing status message in
  response to receiving a command message from
  System 1

• Request-Response Messaging Mimic must send a
  message to System 1 upon receiving a request for
  that message from System 1

ACK
Lat/Long/Alt
System 1 Under Test
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Decode
Heading NE
Heading North
Message
Position Request
Decode
WeatherT-storm
Encode
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Behavior Objects (Contd)
Behavior Objects - Solution
Solution

• Enable the user to plug-in Behavior Objects to
  Mimic
• Behavior Objects consist of separate binary
  (DLL) modules
• When the user initializes a Behavior Object, the
  Behavior Object requests Mimic to notify it of
  important events like
• Receiving a message
• Sending a message
• Starting a message sequence
• etc.

• Examples

• ACK Behavior Object tells Mimic to send an ACK
  message upon receiving a message

• Command-Status Messaging Tells Mimic to
  change the content of an outgoing status
  message in response to receiving a command
  message

• Request-Response Messaging Tells Mimic to
  send a message upon receiving a request for that
  message

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Protocols Supported
Protocols Supported

• - TCP/IP
• UDP/IP
• Serial/COM Port
• MIL-STD-1553
• Others possible
• Modular, Object-Oriented design enables easy
  development of new protocols

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Features
Messages View

• The current state of every message type is
  displayed in the Messages View
• The user can send outgoing messages with the
  Send button

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Features (Contd)
Sequences

• The user can define sequences of outgoing
  messages that he/she can play, pause, and stop at
  any time.
• No limit on the number of sequences the user can
  play at a given time.
• The user can view the sequence in a web browser
  for convenient viewing and analysis.

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Features (Contd)
Logging
Message Logging

• The user can log any or all incoming or outgoing
  messages. Mimic displays the content of each
  recorded message for the user.
• The user can search through the log for messages
  whose field values match a user-defined set of
  criteria.
• The user can save and view the log in a text
  format, spreadsheet-friendly format, and with a
  web browser for convenient viewing and analysis.
• The user can automatically generate an Outgoing
  Message Sequence from a recording of his/her
  outgoing messages.

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Features (Contd)
Predefined Messages

• The user can define and save the content of
  outgoing messages once, and send it again at will
  without having to redefine it.

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Features (Contd)
Behavior Objects

• The user can attach plug-ins to Mimic, called
  Behavior Objects, that add dynamic, automated
  behavior to a Mimic Emulation.

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Typical Business Case
Who does what?

• - Client informs Trinidyne of the need for an
  emulation or monitoring solution for a particular
  system
• - Trinidyne and client agree on the behavior
  object requirements, if any
• Trinidyne and client agree on pre-set message
  sequences, if any
• Trinidyne and client agree on a test plan
• Client provides Trinidyne with unformatted ICD
• Trinidyne transforms the ICD to a Mimic-readable
  format
• Trinidyne implements behavior objects
• Trinidyne develops test procedures, with client
  input
• Trinidyne executes test procedures with client
  oversight
• Trinidyne delivers a Mimic Basic emulation of
  the system in question. This includes
• The Mimic executable binary files
• The Behavior Object executable binary file(s)
  (if any)
• The Emulation File
• An installation program to install the above
  files.
• An Emulation Software License

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Business Case Spreadsheet Calculator