Unpack trigger for testing electronic control units

1 . A system for real-time simulation, comprising:

a real-time computing device configured to execute the real-time simulation; and

a host computing device in communication with the real-time computing device, wherein the host computing device is configured to:

configure a real-time simulation application for executing the real-time simulation; and

send the real-time simulation application to the real-time computing device;

wherein the real-time computing device is further configured to, as part of executing the real-time simulation:

receive a message corresponding to a data array to a buffer of the real-time computing device; and

unpack the message in the buffer, wherein unpacking the message comprises deserializing a first signal value of the data array corresponding to a first position of the data array designated by a first value of an index variable;

wherein the host computing device is further configured to change a value of the index variable to a second value and activate an unpack trigger corresponding to the data array; and

wherein the real-time computing device is further configured to, as part of executing the real-time simulation:

determine that the unpack trigger corresponding to the data array has been activated; and

in response to determining that the unpack trigger corresponding to the data array has been activated, re-unpack the message in the buffer, wherein re-unpacking the message in the buffer comprises deserializing a second signal value of the data array corresponding to a second position of the data array designated by the second value of the index variable.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an electronic control unit (ECU) in communication with the real-time computing device;

wherein the message received by the real-time computing device is received from the ECU.

3 . The system according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a sensor in communication with the ECU, wherein the data array includes measurement information from the sensor.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

another real-time computing device in communication with the real-time computing device, wherein the another real-time computing device is configured to simulate an ECU in communication with the real-time computing device.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the host computing device is configured to activate the unpack trigger in connection with changing an index variable corresponding to the data array.

6 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein the host computing device is configured to change the index variable and activate the unpack trigger via a trace (TRC) interface corresponding to a TRC file associated with the data array.

7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the real-time computing device is further configured to reset the unpack trigger upon re-unpacking the message.

8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the real-time computing device is further configured to increment an unpack counter upon unpacking the message, and to increment the unpack counter again upon re-unpacking the message.

9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the real-time computing device is further configured to:

in response to determining that the unpack trigger corresponding to the data array has been activated and that a new message corresponding to the data array has been received contemporaneously with the unpack trigger being activated, unpack the new message corresponding to the data array.

10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein unpacking the message does not include deserializing any other signal values of the data array other than the first signal value, and wherein re-unpacking the message does not include deserializing any other signal values of the data array other than the second signal value.

11 . A method for executing a real-time simulation on a real-time computing device, comprising:

obtaining, by the real-time computing device, a real-time application from a host computing device;

starting, by the real-time computing device, the real-time simulation based on executed the real-time application; and

during running of the real-time simulation:

receiving a message corresponding to a data array to a buffer of the real-time computing device;

unpacking the message in the buffer, wherein unpacking the message comprises deserializing a first signal value of the data array corresponding to a first position of the data array designated by a first value of an index variable;

determining that an unpack trigger corresponding to the data array has been activated by the host computing device; and

in response to determining that the unpack trigger corresponding to the data array has been activated, re-unpacking the message in the buffer, wherein re-unpacking the message in the buffer comprises deserializing a second signal value of the data array corresponding to a second position of the data array designated by a second value of the index variable.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the message is received from an electronic control unit (ECU) in communication with the real-time computing device; or

wherein the message is received from another real-time computing device in communication with the real-time computing device, wherein the another real-time computing device simulates an ECU in communication with the real-time computing device.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

resetting the unpack trigger upon re-unpacking the message.

14 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein unpacking the message does not include deserializing any other signal values of the data array other than the first signal value, and wherein re-unpacking the message does not include deserializing any other signal values of the data array other than the second signal value.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon for executing a real-time simulation on a real-time computing device, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, facilitate:

obtaining, by the real-time computing device, a real-time application from a host computing device;

starting, by the real-time computing device, the real-time simulation based on executed the real-time application; and

during running of the real-time simulation:

receiving a message corresponding to a data array to a buffer of the real-time computing device;

unpacking the message in the buffer, wherein unpacking the message comprises deserializing a first signal value of the data array corresponding to a first position of the data array designated by a first value of an index variable;

determining that an unpack trigger corresponding to the data array has been activated by the host computing device; and

in response to determining that the unpack trigger corresponding to the data array has been activated, re-unpacking the message in the buffer, wherein re-unpacking the message in the buffer comprises deserializing a second signal value of the data array corresponding to a second position of the data array designated by a second value of the index variable.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the message is received from an electronic control unit (ECU) in communication with the real-time computing device; or

wherein the message is received from another real-time computing device in communication with the real-time computing device, wherein the another real-time computing device simulates an ECU in communication with the real-time computing device.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further facilitate:

resetting the unpack trigger upon re-unpacking the message.