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.

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.

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:

Gamma is not only used in aerospace testing, but also in other industries – such as automotive – and mainly in “Hardware In The Loop Test Systems”. The goal is to subject embedded systems to special stress tests under real-time conditions.

Gamma handles each individual control with simulation and creates the desired states for the test objects with logging of the system response. This allows the corresponding systems to be tested with regard to their functionality and integration. Via scripts ( preferred Python) and adapted drivers not only special test tasks can be automated, but also interface simulations or targeted error inputs can be created. The Gamma-based HIL systems can be easily extended via additional third-party components. Often the control unit and real-time unit are separated. If the test horizon is to be extended, Gamma creates the necessary abstraction across systems. It communicates or controls other (Real Time) Gamma instances as well as middleware systems from already existing third-party providers.

QT or own tools can be used to visualize the test sequences and conditions. Furthermore a cloud connection is provided via the Messaging Service of the Gamma VI Middleware. Different cloud providers and also BigData Tools can be used for several clients.

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:

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.