Latest News

08/31/2023: Easily manage test executions with playbooks

Playbooks belong to TEST-GUIDE like test case packages to ECU-TEST. How to work with playbooks and how to distribute them to executable test tasks, we will show you in our latest video.

With Playbooks, you can minimize many manual steps and at the same time, you only execute those parts of the ECU-TEST Workspace that are necessary for the planned test scope. The creation is very easy, because TEST-GUIDE already offers a comprehensive playbook editor for all necessary steps. Just select files, save them and get started. And if multiple test resources are available, you can also split the playbook when starting the execution to distribute the test execution to multiple test resources. Another additional time saving.

Are TEST-GUIDE playbooks your last missing puzzle piece in the continuous testing process? Feel free to ask us for more details - we'd be happy to hear from you.

06/22/2023: Highly automated test execution with TEST-GUIDE

Starting software tests manually? That was once. With TEST-GUIDE, you can execute all open test tasks in the correct order on the correct test resource automatically – even in a continuous loop.

In our latest video, we show you exactly how this works. If you prefer reading instead of watching, we also have a short explanation for you here:

Would you like to reduce the many manual and time-consuming steps and optimize your continuous testing process? We are pleased to help you with the setup and also with any questions about our tools. Just get in touch with our support.

05/23/2023: From 0 to 100 - our booth becomes interactive

Many times a year, we are on the road at recruiting fairs. Since this April, we can no longer just tell you how versatile our tools are - we can also show it: with our ECU-TEST Playstation demonstration. We got the idea for this from our student Ben Margott. He connected ECU-TEST with Gran Turismo 7 and analyzed the driven laps in detail.

Now this idea has become a highlight at our booth. When racing live on the Playstation, skill and sensitivity are required not only in the curves. Because while you are really going for it, a test case developed especially for the race is started in ECU-TEST, which tracks the driven lap with regard to different measured quantities.

For this purpose, the transmitted signals of the car racing simulator are recorded and saved into a file. After finishing the race, the data is automatically analyzed with TRACE-CHECK. At the end, you get an individual report of the lap you were fastest on. This overview contains details about the speed you drove, your own acceleration behavior and how often you hit the brakes.

It's a lot of fun - for us and for the students. Come and visit us: https://www.tracetronic.com/jobs/#meet

04/19/2023: The results of the Stellantis Hackathon are in: We are ready for the cloud!

In the beginning of March, we participated in the Stellantis and Amazon Web Service (AWS) Hackathon in Rüsselsheim, Germany and proved that we are capable on every level!

In collaboration with about 70 other software experts, we spent a whole week focusing on Stellantis’ cloud-based product development environment "Virtual Engineering Workbench" (VEW). This virtual platform is designed to enable continuous integration, testing and validation of vehicle software within a global partner network. The project was defined by seven different use cases.

Our use case had the working title "End-to-end Testing". A topic tailored to our skillset, as we already use end-to-end workflows to validating software-defined vehicles. Our experience enabled us to optimize and adapt the processes from automated startup to execution and termination of tests for Stellantis. The result? The time we invested in the last weeks and months to make our tools compatible with cloud environments was worth all of the effort and everything worked exactly as we had imagined. Specifically, we were able to complete the following tasks:

This was a successful and educational week for us, which Michael Mausbach of Stellantis summarized as follows: "We also had the TraceTronic team there so that they could reprogram and adapt their software to our needs on-the-fly, but then quickly realized that everything was already working. A configuration change or a script here and there and it was up and running - we were very impressed with how easy it was!"
We could hardly have received better praise, thank you very much! We are looking forward to continuing our work with Team Stallantis in the future!

01/31/2023: Artifact synchronization with TEST-GUIDE

With the TEST-GUIDE artifact management we are currently building a central depository where all software and software artifacts can be managed in separate TEST-GUIDE depositories. Artifacts not only refer to work results of software development, but also documents, description files, test data or configurations. Centralization ensures that all those involved always have access to this relevant information.

In parallel, the ECU-TEST requirements to configure various TEST-GUIDE depositories and access their artifacts, were also met. The focus of this first prototype synchronization between ECU-TEST and TEST-GUIDE is on providing A2L and HEX files. These are referenced by an ID in a TEST-GUIDE depository instead of a (local) file path. Only the configuration and the test case are necessary in ECU-TEST for running the test itself. The required artifacts are automatically retrieved from the depository when the configuration is started. In this way, not only can the actual workspace be kept lean, but the test data organization also runs independently in the background.

In our latest YouTube video, we show how easy it is to use this feature. Only four steps, a few clicks and inputs are required to meet all test requirements.

But see for yourself! We are also happy to help you with the setup and with any questions about our tools.

12/21/2022: TEST-GUIDE Highlights 2022

As you know, testing is our passion. With our tools, we want to make your day easier when it comes to software testing. Because both the testing itself and the evaluation may take many hours – even if all the processes are already automated. That's why we are constantly improving the performance of our tools and developing functions that simplify and accelerate the entire test process and handling. In continuous intervals we release new software versions of our tools and keep you up to date. Today we will have a look at our TEST-GUIDE tool.

TEST-GUIDE, the basis of our Automotive DevOps Platform, is used for planning, analysis, execution and reporting of test runs. Every two weeks a new software release is made available with new functions, improvements and bug fixes. Over the year, we have brought many great TEST-GUIDE features to the market – also thanks to you.

Even a first glance at the new dashboards shows this clearly. You can see that new widgets have been implemented, for example the "test case overview" and the "statistics widget". If these are used, basic statistical information about the project can be fully mapped as a dashboard. Also new: the "History" widget. It allows uploads of reports, e.g. of filtered program or software versions, to be displayed. Furthermore, dashboards that have been created can now be saved as bookmarks. This way, you can easily make them available as a link.

10/14/2022: TraceTronic and neocx join forces at the JUG Saxony Day

"It was great!" say Frederik Schrader (TraceTronic GmbH) and Daniel Surek (neocx GmbH) with big smiles on their faces, referring to Saxony's largest IT community conference. They attended the 9th JUG Saxony Day in Radebeul with their presentation Software-defined vehicle. The transformation of the automotive industry and why software is the solution. Doesn't exactly sound like a topic for the Java User Group (JUG), does it? Well, it is, because these meetings aren't just exclusively about Java. Rather, the focus is on the exchange of knowledge and experience, and new technologies and trends in IT and software-driven industries. Time and again, socially relevant topics also find their way onto the agenda. With good reason, because IT technologies are increasingly enriching the everyday lives and environments of every individual. And the presentation by our two colleagues hits the mark there too. Because it's about "Germany's favorite toy" – the car.

The car of today is a mechanical engineering product of perfection. Never before have bodywork, embedded ECU hardware, and specially developed vehicle software been more sophisticated and harmonized. But new mobility concepts, such as electromobility or autonomous driving, are changing the industry for good. Already, car makers are increasingly shifting their focus from hardware to software. The focus is no longer exclusively on the classic areas of design, engine performance, and clearance, but also on connectivity, digitalization, and AI.

In the future, the car will no longer serve merely as a means of transport. For a long time, users have wanted to use their familiar smart environment in the car as well. And just as they expect from their smartphones, notebooks, tablets, etc., they want the latest feature and security updates on a regular basis. This will turn the car of tomorrow into a software platform – highly flexible and continuously equipped with new services and apps. So everyone can decide individually which functions they need and want to finance, in terms of driving and their lifestyle in the car – some permanently, some perhaps only temporarily.

10/04/2022: TraceTronic tests the ICE Portal of Deutsche Bahn as part of the DB mindbox program

In mid-July, the phone rang. A startup manager at DB mindbox, a startup hub of Deutsche Bahn, invited us to apply for a 100-day startup program. Our initial surprise quickly gave way to enthusiasm, because this was about finding a customized solution to a very specific problem – precisely our area of expertise. The ICE Portal (in-train information and entertainment portal) shall be tested continuously and automatically. Not only during development, but live and in color during the train ride!

The call and the topic excited a small team of employees so much that they eagerly threw themselves into the bid – and the train, because the ICE Portal is only available while traveling on the train. So the test case had to be created on the train. In this case, on the ICE from Munich to Leipzig. By the time they reached Erfurt, the first small test was ready.

With the test in our luggage, the next stop was the selection day at DB mindbox in Berlin on September 8. There, we were able to demonstrate our flexibility and experience to win over the jury with our Automotive DevOps concept, which we are converting into a "Running Train" DevOps concept for DB. After all, testing involves not only the test itself, but also the collection of information in a central location, the visual preparation of the results, and integration into the workflows of all those involved (e.g. software developers and management).

On October 17, the 100-day proof-of-concept program will start with an intensive onboarding week with the companies, startup managers and the technical department.

We can't wait!

08/10/2022: 9th AutoTest Technical Conference: TraceTronic from 19th - 20th October in Stuttgart

AutoTest has always been a very special conference for us. The event in Stuttgart is all about testing hardware and software in automotive development. Right up our street! This is where vehicle manufacturers, system suppliers, service providers and tool manufacturers meet to jointly formulate requirements for testing automotive electronics and software and to discuss methods for optimizing test processes.

This year, however, we are looking forward to the 9th edition of the conference, which will take place from 19th - 20th October 2022 in the Haus der Wirtschaft, even more than usual, because we are represented in the program with many contributions. It starts right away with the keynote address "on the path to the automated continuous integration factory at Volkswagen" given by our managing director Dr.-Ing. Rocco Deutschmann in his function as managing director of neocx GmbH, together with Dr. Peter Oel from Volkswagen AG. Also on the agenda: our colleagues Christoph Heidelbach ("virtual safeguarding by means of co-simulation") and Matthias Friedrich ("test procedures for autonomous driving functions as an elementary component of university education").

If you would like to talk to us outside the presentations, then drop by our booth at the accompanying trade exhibition. Our colleagues are already looking forward to exchanging experiences with experts from industry and research.

Why wait? Register now: https://fkfs-autotest.de/registration