The LAVA software team created a document to summarise the experience, so far, of automating devices for validation and that document formed the basis of a presentation at Linaro Connect in Hong Kong earlier this year by Steve McIntyre.
The content has been living inside a wiki within Linaro but there have been delays in making the URL visible to anonymous viewers. I have therefore migrated the content to my blog:
https://linux.codehelp.co.uk/automation-and-risk.html
A link to the presentation is included.
Available under CC BY-SA 3.0 and shortly to appear on planet.debian.org
Please share with anyone involved in designing hardware which is likely to end up on your desk for automation support and anyone else who may be interested in the hardware challenges of device automation.
A second shorter post on Firmware Best Practices will follow - some of the elements of that document were also covered in the presentation at Connect.