Choosing the Right Test Strategy: Smoke to Regression with TestBot

In the fast-paced world of embedded systems, shipping a new build is a high-stakes game.

A single bug can lead to costly recalls, safety risks, or a damaged reputation. This is why a strategic approach to testing is non-negotiable.

At TestBot, we know that no single test type can guarantee a flawless product. Instead, a multi-layered strategy—from quick checks to deep-dive validations—is the key to continuous quality.

Our framework is designed to support this tiered approach, giving you the flexibility to build a robust testing pipeline that fits your development lifecycle.

Here’s a breakdown of the core test strategies and how TestBot empowers you to execute them with precision.

Smoke Testing: The Build Gatekeeper

What it is: Think of smoke testing as the ultimate "fail-fast" mechanism. It's a high-level set of tests to confirm that a new build is fundamentally stable and ready for more extensive testing. If the smoke test fails, you stop immediately, saving your team from wasting time on a broken build.

How TestBot Helps:

With TestBot, you can quickly execute predefined “Smoke” test suites across multiple agents. Using the Codeless Mode, a QA engineer can set up a simple flow: an agent checks for basic communication on the CAN bus, while another agent verifies that critical GPIO pins are toggling correctly. You can even include a quick UI check to ensure the application launches and a splash screen appears.

If any of these essential checks fail, TestBot’s alert features can immediately notify the team, preventing the build from moving forward.

Sanity Testing: Post-Fix Confidence

What it is: Sanity testing is a focused, surgical strike. It’s used after a hotfix or a small, targeted code change to ensure the fix works as intended and hasn't introduced any immediate side effects.

How TestBot Helps:

TestBot allows you to easily run only the impacted test flows. Instead of a full regression, you can use tags or filter test cases by the affected module.

For example, if you fix a bug in your Modbus protocol handler, you can run a quick sanity check using TestBot's ModbusAgent to specifically validate the fix. This saves time and reduces unnecessary wear on your hardware.

TestBot’s detailed logs provide traceability, making it easy to see exactly what was tested and what the result was — especially useful when linking test results back to a specific bug ID.

Regression Testing: The Ultimate Safety Net

What it is: Regression testing is your comprehensive safety net. It's the process of re-running a large suite of tests to ensure that new changes haven’t broken any existing functionality. For complex embedded systems, this is non-negotiable.

How TestBot Helps:

This is where TestBot's agent-based architecture and parallel execution capabilities truly shine. You can automate a full regression campaign using scheduled agents, running tests across multiple devices or platforms simultaneously.

The Data Manager can parameterize tests with Excel or database-driven inputs, making it easy to run the same test with a variety of data.

After a run, TestBot generates rich, executive-friendly HTML/PDF reports with pass/fail status, detailed logs, and even screenshots or waveform captures, providing a complete picture of your product's health.

You can even split your regression suite by domain—UI, protocol, hardware—and assign them to different agents or environments, maximizing efficiency and coverage.

Conclusion: A Unified Approach to Quality

In the end, a successful test strategy isn't about choosing one method over another. It's about combining them into a cohesive, automated workflow.

With TestBot, you have a unified framework that allows you to gate your builds with smoke tests, validate fixes with sanity tests, and ensure long-term stability with comprehensive regression suites.

This layered approach to quality not only helps you catch bugs early but also builds confidence and speeds up your release cycles.