Strategies for Software and Hardware Compatibility Testing in Industrial Controllers

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Mass customization, small batch sizes, high variability of product types and a changing product portfolio during the life cycle of an industrial plant are current trends in the industry. Due to an increasing decoupling of the development of software and hardware components in an industrial context, compatibility problems within industrial control systems arise more and more frequently. In this publication, a strategy concept for compatibility testing is derived and discussed by means of a literature review and applied research. This four-phase strategy concept identifies incompatibilities between software and hardware components in the industrial control environment and enables test engineers to detect problems at an early stage. By automating the compatibility test on an external I-PC, the test can be run both when new software is installed on the industrial controller and when the controller is restarted. Thus, changes to the components are constantly detected and incompatibilities are avoided. Furthermore, early incompatibility detection can ensure that a system remains permanently operational. Based on a discussion, additional strategies are identified to consolidate the robustness and applicability of the presented concept.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number580
JournalProcesses : open access journal
Volume12
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 14 Mar 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-5165-4459/work/155840460
unpaywall 10.3390/pr12030580
Scopus 85189138144

Keywords

Keywords

  • PLC, compatibility, industrial controller, test automation