Unit Testing Embedded Systems with Zephyr/Ztest

Firmware development for embedded systems presents numerous challenges, particularly in ensuring the reliability and robustness in real-world conditions. Late-stage bug detection is expensive, time-consuming to resolve, and can lead to product failures in the field. This white paper demonstrates how Zephyr’s Ztest framework can effectively address these challenges by enabling efficient unit testing. It also covers common difficulties developers face, such as breaking down complex, monolithic codebases, handling intricate kernel dependencies, and ensuring isolated, reliable tests through structured fixtures.

By employing the techniques outlined here, developers can identify and fix defects early in the process, minimizing the risk of costly issues later on.