IoT Interoperability Testing

The essence of the Internet of Things (IoT) lies in the connection between people, processes, and things. However, it covers a vast area including all industries and consumers. The main challenge remains to ensure a hassle free interoperability between each connection.

Going by the definition, interoperability is required by the IoT system to get the full potential through seamless programmability. In order to ensure this, there needs to be a standard to connect diverse platforms irrespective of their manufacturer and industry. The vision is to have connectivity between people and processes. However, in reality IoT still lacks interoperability and is fragmented. Some of the concerns related to this, include the following.

Devices that are made by different manufacturers cannot be integrated
Not able to run on the same operating system
Devices that are purchased at different times
Different connectors and frameworks
Different standard for communication protocol
Lack of programmability

Adding to the existing challenges, technology giants like Google, Apple, Microsoft, etc. have to create interoperability. However, companies like Google and Apple have their own Internet of Things and therefore the challenge to some extent is underscored. These companies are creating a vertical stack of products instead of creating horizontal infrastructure, thus making it more fragmented.

Mass customization of IoT still remains a challenge, as many new vendors still look for interoperability. Though many things can interact, interoperability still remains a challenge, especially in the early phase, which remains chunky.

With more open-source frameworks in development, more and more companies are emerging to enable interoperability. However, there needs to be a proper IoT interoperability testing to ensure the seamless function of the IoT system. The following scenarios are tested using interoperability testing.

Test the system from one manufacturer with other
Test the entire system and the sub-system
Test IoT devices with WLAN and LTE compliance

Interoperability Testing Characteristics

Testing boundaries specified by the equipment being tested and qualified equipment
The EUT and QE must be from different vendors and line of products
Tests are conducted at interfaces that are used for monitoring
These are functional tests as used by the user
Interfaces like MMIs are simulated for interoperability

You need to develop interoperability tests before the test begin. You need to follow the below procedure.

Specify abstract architecture
Prepare Interoperable Features Statement
Specify Test Suite Structure
Develop Test Purpose
Develop Test Cases
Validate the TCs
Finalize the Interoperable Features Statement

360logica has developed a comprehensive and unique testing strategy to tackle any challenges associated with validating IoT applications. 360logica makes use of the real devices, tools, and frameworks to perform testing of IoT applications. The IoT test framework developed by 360logica can be easily integrated with various platforms and IoT protocols. The in-house tools can be used to recreate real-time scenarios and when combined with simulators, can facilitate enhanced automation. Our in-depth expertise and offerings make IoT application testing hassle-free and simple. We facilitate end-to-end coverage of the testing by: