dSPACE has launched the Test Automation SDK, an open, Python-based software development kit aimed at simplifying automated testing of increasingly software-defined and interconnected aerospace systems. The core idea is a unified API that abstracts away multiple heterogeneous tool interfaces, letting engineers write test cases once in Python and run them across both software-in-the-loop (SIL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments by changing only the configuration, not the script itself.
For aerospace test teams, this addresses a familiar pain point: campaigns typically start with virtual SIL testing and progress to HIL system integration, often requiring separate tooling expertise at each stage. The SDK connects test cases to underlying platforms such as VEOS for SIL and SCALEXIO for HIL, keeping scripts consistent across the chain and supporting traceability and reproducibility from early design iterations through to certification-oriented testing.
Because test cases are plain Python, the SDK is compatible with common frameworks such as pytest and Robot Framework, and integrates into standard development tools including VS Code and Git. dSPACE notes this code-centric structure also makes the SDK suited to AI-assisted workflows, since coding agents can help generate, extend and maintain test scripts, and to continuous integration/continuous testing processes.
The Test Automation SDK is offered under an open-source model, which dSPACE says allows teams to adapt it to specific program requirements and long lifecycles while drawing on community contributions and shared practices.
Source: Aerospace Testing International — read the original article