Exploring the Internet of Things (IoT):
Generally, when people are queried regarding the basic demands for existence, the typical responses would be “Food, Shelter, Clothing.”
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This was the scenario previously. Over time, human needs have extended beyond these fundamentals. We’ve progressed and developed further necessities to streamline our existence.
Currently, day-to-day tasks, such as utilizing switches to operate lights or physically paying tolls, are no longer carried out in conventional ways. Health conditions and vehicle movements are tracked efficiently with advanced technology.
How do these changes occur? How have things altered significantly?
To gain insight into how IoT is tested, it’s crucial to grasp these transformations.
Takeaways from this Guide:
Defining the Internet of Things (IoT):
Internet of Things (IoT) encompasses the interconnection of various devices, ranging from vehicles to home appliances to medical apparatus, which leverage embedded electronics and microchips to gather and circulate diverse forms of data. This technology provides the capability for remote device control over a network.
Practical Examples of IoT:
The following are instances of IoT applications in real-life scenarios:
#1) Wearable Technology:
Devices such as Fitbit bands or Apple watches can seamlessly connect to mobile gadgets.
These wearables capture essential data points, including health status monitoring, heart rate, sleep patterns, among others. Additionally, they relay mobile device information and notifications.
#2) Infrastructure and Progress:
Platforms such as CitySense simplify the task of accessing real-time data related to outdoor lighting, leading to a more efficient control system for street lights. Similarly, several applications aid in managing traffic signals and overseeing parking availability in urban areas.
#3) Healthcare:
There’s a wide array of applications that focus on patient healthcare monitoring.
Services are tailored to adjusting medication doses during the day, depending on the standard data. For instance, applications like UroSense keep tabs on the fluid levels in patients’ bodies and ensure necessary fluid transmission. This data can be circulated wirelessly to the concerned parties.
Technology incorporated in IoT:
Here are some frequently utilized technologies within the IoT spectrum:
- RFID [Radio Frequency Code] tags and EPC [Electronic Product Code]
- NFC [Near Field Communication] enables two-way communication between electronic gadgets. It’s primarily used for touchless payment transactions on smartphones.
- Bluetooth: This is widely used for communication over short distances, particularly in wearable tech.
- Z-Wave: A low-energy RF technology used for controlling home automation devices and lamps, among other uses.
- WiFi: The most popular choice for IoT, WiFi facilitates smooth file, data, and message transfer on a LAN.
IoT Testing:
Consider an example of a medical tracking system that monitors health, heart rate, fluid consumption details, and transmits this information to respective doctors. This data is documented in the system and can be accessed for historical reference when required.
Doctors can commence dosing and fluid supplements based on this data. This action can also be carried out from any device (computers or mobile devices) connected to the medical apparatus.
To evaluate an architecture like this, we need to adopt varying testing methodologies, which are outlined below:
Approaches to IoT Testing:
#1) Usability:
- Each device integrated into the infrastructure must ensure usability.
- The healthcare monitoring device should notably be portable and convenient to move across different segments within the medical facility.
- This gadget should be equipped to display notifications, error messages, warnings.
- The system should provide a feature for event logging for clarity. If this isn’t feasible, it should at least log the events onto a database.
- Usability of data display, data processing, and task management must also be thoroughly verified.
=> Discover more about general Usability testing here
#2) IoT Security:
- IoT is data-oriented, with devices and systems operating with available data.
- Data transfer amongst devices introduces security implications.
- The focus of testing should be data protection and encryption during transfer.
- Password protection should be applied to the UIs when necessary.
=> Learn more about general Security Testing here
#3) Connectivity:
- In the context of healthcare solutions, connectivity is essential.
- The system needs to have consistent availability and must be constantly connected to stakeholders.
- Connectivity and data circulation should be flawless while the connection is active.
- Offline scenarios also require testing. There should be mechanisms to reserve data during offline periods, and sent when the system goes online again.
#4) Performance:
- The system should be scalable for extensive use across hospitals.
- Tests should be designed to accommodate larger data proliferation when the entire hospital network is interconnected.
- Performance level has to remain steady even with elevated data transmission.
#5) Compatibility Testing:
- Given the complexity of IoT systems, compatibility testing becomes crucial.
- Testing should accommodate various operating system versions, browser types, device generations, and communication modes (such as Bluetooth 2.0, 3.0).
=> Discover more about general Security Testing here
#6) Pilot Testing:
- Pilot testing is critical for IoT.
- Lab testing is insufficient. It must also consider real-time conditions and circumstances.
- Pilot testing reveals the system to a restricted number of actual field users, who can provide valuable feedback for application enhancement.
- This firsthand feedback assists in fortifying the application for comprehensive production deployment.
#7) Regulatory Testing:
- Healthcare systems must pass regulatory and compliance testing.
- Regulatory requisites should be kept in mind early in the development phase and incorporated in the testing checklist.
- The clearance for regulatory compliance should be secured.
#8) Upgrade Testing:
- IoT incorporates numerous protocols, devices, operating systems, firmware, hardware, and networking layers.
- When conducting upgrades, regression testing is crucial to prevent upgrade-related challenges.
IoT Testing Complications:
Testers experience the following issues when testing IoT:
#1) Blend of Hardware and Software:
IoT architecture heavily leans on both hardware and software components. Merely functional testing isn’t enough to validate the system. The interdependence amongst hardware and software, the environment, and data transfer presents a challenge to testers.
#2) Device Interaction Component:
Because of IoT’s nature involving the integration of different hardware and software sets, ensuring seamless communication in real time, or close to it, becomes a challenge for testers. Issues interconnected with security, backward compatibility and upgrades emerge during the integration stage.
#3) Real-time Data Testing:
Even though pilot testing and regulatory testing are fundamental for IoT systems, obtaining real-world data for testing can be challenging. Especially in healthcare scenarios, testers often face difficulties in securing the necessary data.
#4) User Interface (UI):
As IoT is spread across devices using different platforms (like iOS, Android, Windows, Linux), testing the UI on every device isn’t practical. The challenge lies in maintaining a consistent user experience across varying devices.
#5) Network Accessibility:
For IoT to function, network connectivity is vital, since it operates based on rapid data communication. IoT frameworks need to be verified under different network situations and speeds. Although virtual network simulators are helpful, real-time situations can present unexpected problems.
Tools for IoT Testing:
Several tools are employed for testing IoT systems.
These tools are grouped based on their target areas:
#1) Software:
- Wireshark: A tool offered as an open-source application, primarily used to monitor traffic, interfaces, and host addresses.
- Tcpdump: A command-line utility showcasing TCP/IP and other packets transmitted or received over a network.
#2) Hardware:
- JTAG Dongle: Like a debugger in PC applications, it assists in debugging the target platform code.
- Digital Storage Oscilloscope: Used to check events with time stamps, power supply irregularities, and signal integrity.
- Software Defined Radio: Emulates a receiver and transmitter for a large assortment of wireless gateways.
The IoT market is expanding, particularly in developing countries, opening up a wealth of opportunities. To stay relevant in the development industry, testers need to keep pace with IoT advancements.
IoT-enabled devices, smart device applications, and communication modules are crucial elements to consider when analyzing and assessing the performance and behavior of various IoT services.
Inefficiently designed IoT-enabled devices and services can lead to disrupted operations, negatively impacting the end-user experience.
In Conclusion:
The approach to IoT testing might vary based on the system’s architecture. Testers ought to prioritize a Test-As-A-User (TAAS) methodology instead of relying entirely on requirements for testing.
Integration testing plays a key role in ensuring successful IoT systems, as it allows for early detection of issues.
While testing IoT can be challenging due to its complexity involving various devices, protocols, hardware, operating systems, firmware, and more, it also provides an exciting opportunity for testers to authenticate such a complex network.
About the author: Subhasis, the author of this guest post, is a team lead with over 8 years of professional experience in Software Quality Assurance, Software Development, and Testing for Fortune 500 IT companies.
UPDATE: A useful infographic on the topic of IoT has been added. Thanks to webeeky.com for contributing this.
Feel free to address your IoT questions/comments below.