Automated test generation for IEC 61131-3 ST programs via dynamic symbolic execution

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9 Scopus citations

Abstract

A programmable logic controller (PLC) is essentially a computer dedicated to industrial control which is widely used in the field of global automation control. However, PLC software bugs can result in economic losses and even personal safety issues. PLC software must be thoroughly tested regarding function, structure, safety, and other aspects to avoid accidents. Existing PLC tools are mainly based on the manual setting of input data, which is not only unable to be well automated but also cannot provide information about code coverage. This paper presents an automated test case generation approach for a Structured Text (ST) language to reduce the cost of testing, using dynamic symbolic execution. We apply this method to implement the coverage-based automated test case generation tool STAutoTester. We have evaluated STAutoTester on 21 programs. The experimental results show that STAutoTester can effectively handle these programs. For 11 ST programs, STAutoTester reduces, on average, 87.5% of generated test cases compared to SYMPLC.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings - 2019 13th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Software Engineering, TASE 2019
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages200-207
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9781728133423
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2019
Event13th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Software Engineering, TASE 2019 - Guilin, China
Duration: 29 Jul 201931 Jul 2019

Publication series

NameProceedings - 2019 13th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Software Engineering, TASE 2019

Conference

Conference13th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Software Engineering, TASE 2019
Country/TerritoryChina
CityGuilin
Period29/07/1931/07/19

Keywords

  • Automated Test Generation
  • Dynamic Symbolic Execution
  • Structured Text Language

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