Investigation into usability attributes for embedded systems testing

Abstract

Usability in embedded systems is an important factor in determining the quality of a whole system. Embedded systems are proliferating in vast application areas of life with ever increasing multifarious functionalities. As a result, these possess more challenges in its design for interactive usage, performance and acceptance. Therefore, the need to have product with ease of use is imperative. In this paper we discuss usability testing attributes for embedded systems. Usability testing attributes are considered to be an integral part of any successful usability testing exercise. Consequently, we propose a set of usability testing attributes based on the ISO 9126 quality model through a review of current trend and practices. These set of attributes were carefully mapped to the characteristics of embedded systems to facilitate easy evaluation for testers and system designers.