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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TestConCert (TestConCert is a future-proof fusion of automation technology using IoT communication strategies with flight test bench control and test management from requirement up to the certification document.)

Teaser

Summary

\"The research topic \"\"Integrated Automated Test Bench Control with Certifiable Test Documentation\"\" has the purpose to enhance and automate test conduction for the ground thermal test bench located in the Flight Test Facility (FTF) Fraunhofer-IBP, Germany. The FTF consists of a low-pressure chamber containing a 15-meter-long large passenger aircraft section, cockpit, cabin and aft business jet fuselage mock-ups and the aircraft calorimeter. In this setup a large number of different flight related tests can be done. These tests can be physiological tests with passengers or mechanical and functional tests for flight components.

The need to reduce the carbon footprint of flights requires the development of new flight components. The avionics industry requires intensive testing for new components to avoid fatal accidents. The Flight Test Facility provides a very special environment for these kinds of tests. It can simulate the pressure and temperature changes during a flight.

The ground thermal test bench is an automation system on the low level and a flight test bench on the superordinate level. Both technologies are two different application domains at that are hard to combine. The test chamber itself wants to be used for testing as often as possible. New test setups require work to reassemble the facility. These reconfigurations should be as easy as possible. And new test procedures should be easy and fast to define. On the other hand, it is necessary to document the tests very carefully. Without a proper documentation of the test procedure together with the test setup it is nearly impossible to reproduce a test scenario.

The goal of this research topic was to combine tools of the research partners RST and Razorcat to provide a powerful solution for the Flight Test Facility. It enables fast reconfiguration of the test bench, provides a system that captures and stores the data during test runs and a powerful test management solution that can generate the final test documentation. This can be done with an open and flexible software solutions that can utilize already existing and new automation hardware.

The research partners were able to deliver an update to parts of the control hardware of the test bench together with a number of integrated software solutions. The hardware update contained new Beckhoff PLC terminals for the ACC test chamber, a small separate test system connected to the main test bench. RST enhanced its GAMMA middleware to connect the different automation systems and provide a standardized view of a combined data model for the test tools. New developed GAMMA components are used to configure and visualize this data model and the test bench. Razorcat updated and provided the systems TRM, TOP, CCDL and ITE. TRM is a test run management server that was integrated with the GAMMA middleware for test execution. The CCDL test definition language was updated to better accommodate the needs of long running thermal tests. The TOP test operator client is the user interface for the test execution. The ITE server and client system is a test management tool that provides powerful features to design and evaluate requirements and tests that are then used to generate reports.

The first approach to integrate GAMMA and Beckhoff PLCs was to complex to handle and later replaced by an easy to configure and powerful solution. The partners RST and Razorcat are confident that the delivered solution enables the Flight Test Facility to be more productive while testing and reassembling the test chamber. It combines the application domains for automation and testing. The test tools provide an efficient and powerful workflow on top of a flexible and configurable automation layer.\"

Work performed

Despite initial difficulties, RST was able to integrate the pre-existing systems into the GAMMA platform. We have successfully developed interfaces to the installed Siemens PLCs as well as new Beckhoff PLCs. To enable long running tests for the test bench the GAMMA platform needed a new module, to enable tests on an already running GAMMA model. RST also came up with a full-fledged process visualization that allows users to define a dynamic process visualization without requiring programming knowledge. RST has also successfully subcontracted a supplier for the test bench\'s control cabinet that is familiar with Fraunhofer IPB and has experience with the associated safety concepts. The control cabinet was refitted with new Beckhoff PLCs that now interact with the GAMMA middleware. Razorcat updated and provided a new software toolchain for the test bench. The test definition language CCDL language and runtime were enhanced to match the unique requirements of thermal systems. The test management tool ITE introduced into the process got the ability to track test incidents. For the execution of the tests and the interaction with the GAMMA middleware the tools TOP and TRM have been adapted for the characteristics of long running tests. Finally, the integration into the Flight Test Facility was implemented. The ACC test bench now benefits from all the above-mentioned improvements.

Initial results and platform enhancements were presented at the Embedded World trade fair in Nuremberg and other conferences. The integration of CCDL and GAMMA provides a great opportunity to bring both products into new markets. GAMMA as a middleware provides a big number of different hardware adaptations for Razorcat never possible before. GAMMA gets through the CCDL adaptation the possibility to work as a flexible test platform for system testing and the powerful process visualization provide various new opportunities. The integration of the automation and testing domain enable a variety of possible use cases in different areas of the industry. New features of the test management tool ITE can be reused and adapted for other Razorcat products. New features for the requirement management in ITE are already part of the latest TESSY releases. The new developed connection to the GAMMA middleware provides additional options to connect to other test hardware.

The ongoing dissemination and exploitation activities for this research program show already initial successes. At presentations of the project results companies show great interest.

Final results

Through their implementation of a QT Designer based process visualization, RST has paved the way for non-programmers to easily create graphical interfaces and visualizations for test benches, enabling test engineers to more thoroughly design their test environments without involving software developers. Also, interfacing Siemens PLCs to IT based systems points to a future of improved interoperability between legacy systems and modern embedded computers.

Introducing a workflow-based test management tool like ITE into the testing department of a company enables them to use a proven process from the avionics industry. The process provides enough flexibility to be used in small and large projects in any field of industry. It is easy and quick to define additional test cases with the test definition language CCDL. Better and more tests find problems earlier in the product development cycle, reduce overall costs and ensure compliance with safety and security requirements. The automatic generation of test documentation avoids error-prone manual work. The CCDL test procedures are easy to read and can be part of these test documents without the need to create additional documentation.