Test oracles for simulink-like models

The design of embedded systems is often supported by the definition of executable models for tools like Matlab/Simulink or Scilab/Xcos. These models play a pivotal role in the development process and their correctness is thus extremely important. Many different solutions exist for the definition of suitable tests to “exercise” these models, but only a few (partial) solutions exist for assessing the quality of execution (simulation) results, that is, for defining suitable oracles. This paper addresses the problem and proposes a formal language for specifying the oracles and relating them to existing models. It also presents Apolom, a prototype tool for checking simulation results against stated oracles. The empirical assessment we conducted to assess the viability of the proposed solution is organized around four case studies and witnesses interesting results in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and required resources.