Error-Correcting Locating Arrays for Interaction Fault Location in Combinatorial Testing

A new notion, error-correcting locating arrays (ECLAs), is presented for locating interaction faults in component-based systems using combinatorial testing. Error tolerances of commonly used combinatorial arrays for testing such as covering arrays and locating arrays are discussed. Moreover, coding-theoretic characterization and constructions for ECLAs are proposed. Lastly, it is shown that multi-value Paley matrices can be used as ECLAs with high error tolerances for which the proof is based on character sums in finite fields.