Middleware based test systems


Middleware-based-test-systems

Whether aviation, automotive, rail or automatization – nothing works today without thorough testing. We support you in development as well as in environmental and production testing.

Test systems are indispensable in lots of business areas

The testing sector is undergoing major upheavals. Where test systems used to be reserved for end control and quality assurance in production, times have changed. Nowadays more and more parts of product design happen on virtual prototypes and models in a computer, where modern simulation meets established test methods. Long before a real prototype enters a test rig as a HIL (hardware in the loop) unit, virtual testing is performed on model- and software in the loop (MIL / SIL) objects. These changes make continuous testing a constant companion of modern product development.

Middleware Platforms: Ideally suited for test system development and implementation

Their modular nature and abstraction ability offers a maximum of flexibility when integrating both standard and domain or customer specific I/O hardware. Our standard middleware Gamma VI goes even further. By offering integrated functionalities like e.g. simulation and failure injection, automatic logging and timing models for coordinating real time processes, it greatly facilitates test development and execution. Gamma is open for all relevant test languages and methods – from simple scripting via Python or JavaScript all the way to test case generation and execution in ROOM, CCDL, Matlab Simulink etc. The customer decides:

  • The customer can purchase the Gamma VI communication platform with all its tools including consulting and support
  • The customer instructs Proway to carry out the complete creation of the test system with applications
  • Together with the customer Proway develops the test systems with applications

Use Case: Gamma VI as a basis of modern test systems

Gamma VI offers a uniform runtime platform for test applications, enabling the integration of any embedded hardware and I/O functions. With numerous Plug-ins for various I/O boards, fieldbuses and network protocols can be configured quickly and easily to match suitable test platforms to requirements.

At the same time, we offer suitable tools from partners that can be easily adapted to these platforms. Gamma VI also simplifies the porting of existing test tools with the corresponding test scripts.

Gamma VI offers numerous functions already integrated into the platform, which are essential for modern test systems and can be integrated seamlessly into your own application as required. The use of these ready-made modules reduces the development effort significantly.

The available function modules include, among others:

  • Process data model for cyclic and time-synchronous test scripts
  • Multibroker system with send/receive and publish/subscribe functions
  • Simulation interface for failure injection
  • Time model for synchronizing test scripts in a multicore environment
  • Data logging for storage of process data
  • Build distributed services for cloud-based testing

For programming and test generating high-level languages like C/C++, Python, Node.js or Javascript can be used as well as integrated development tools like MatlabSimulink, LabView, iTestStudio or ITE with test languages like CCDL.

The scalability of the platform enables the use of individual measuring devices, minitester and networked control cabinets. Cross-site testing is no longer a problem (e.g. with the FastWAN solution developed by the “Bremen Test Center” technology consortium). The trend towards service-oriented testing, in which more and more tasks such as control, error management or coordination are outsourced to external systems, is met by the platform with its messagebased communication architecture.

Gamma VI-based test systems can be used, for example, as an environment simulation for unit tests in both development and production. Due to the uniform structures up to production level a product can be followed up to series production and a continuous quality assurance can be achieved. Gamma VI is currently used by numerous test customers and service providers in the areas of avionics, automotive and automation.