Solutions for Industry 4.0
The internet is changing the industrial world dramatically. Industry 4.0, Smart Manufacturing and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) are the new buzzwords which describe the comprehensive digitalization of industrial production. Information and communication technologies are changing factories and production systems and processes, and they are interconnecting machines, buildings, logistics and products. They communicate and cooperate with one another directly in Industry 4.0.
The human is interconnected via intelligent interfaces and tools in this exchange. The goal is to attain production that is as self-organized as possible, but still enables easy and more secure interactions. This requires reliable, robust electronic and software solutions which can be developed and tested quickly and error-free.
Accelerating Development and Simplifying Testing of IoT systems
Vector offers proven, professional tools and comprehensive know-how for this purpose. Our field-tested testing and development concepts from the automotive field can also be applied in the IoT area:
With Vector solutions you can develop complex IoT systems efficiently and quickly; testing becomes easier, is reliable and reproducible. Vector know-how supports you on the path towards robust electronic and software solutions for the Internet of Things.
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Are you interested in development solutions for electronics and software in Industry 4.0 applications? Then let’s talk!
Ulrich Berthold
Helping to simplify the development of electronics and software.
Areas of Application
Vector Test Solutions for Embedded Systems
Our system test tools support you efficiently in implementing simulation and test environments. Vector test solutions offer proven test tools for all test phases.
Testing of IoT Software for Industry Applications
Develop, check and test software of connected devices in the Internet of Things and efficient test strategies for IoT devices and backends.
Quality and Performance Analysis for Software Projects
The better the information, the better the decisions: Improve project performance, enhance software quality and assure conformance to processes and standards with dashboards.
Testing
Vector Test Solutions for Embedded Systems
System Tests
Implement simulation and test environments efficiently: Vector tools for testing embedded systems assist you in all of your testing tasks in the development process for Industry 4.0 applications.
They offer scalable and reusable solutions which range from pure SIL simulation to HIL tests with functional release. It does not matter whether the system under test is part of a heat pump, a dishwasher or an electric drive.
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT
Ship Your Software With Confidence
CANoe4SW is our new tool for development, test and analysis of software in cyber-physical systems. Simulate error scenarios that you would not be able to test in a real environment, such as downtime of cloud services.
Vector test tools enable parallel access to communication via network technologies such as CAN/CANopen, Ethernet and WiFi. A wide variety of I/Os (analog, digital, SPI, I2C, PSI5, SENT) can be acquired and stimulated via DAQ and external hardware.
This enables easy and process-conformant implementation of tests that are performed over the course of developing embedded systems in Industry 4.0 environments.
SUPPORTED TEST ACTIVITIES
- Black box tests
- White box tests
- Unit tests, system validation
- Test management, test automation (continuous integration)
- Measuring code coverage of system tests
- Reusing test sequences and test data
Software Tests
Software tests are essential for assuring the quality of electronic devices and apparatus in accordance with various national and international requirements and standards.
The embedded software test platform VectorCAST is a product line that automates the necessary tests over the entire development process. Determining the code coverage from system tests and change-based testing significantly reduces the effort required for module and integration tests.
VectorCAST tools are certified by TÜV SÜD, and they support the acquisition and reporting on structural code coverage on all levels specified in IEC 61508.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHT
Test Automation in Software Development
Automated testing activities across the development lifecycle with the VectorCAST embedded software testing platform.
Testing IIoT
Potential Analysis: The CANoe Connectivity Features Service
THE INITIAL SITUATION
Make Testing of IIoT Systems Easier, but How?
The Internet of Things is everywhere now. Embedded devices are becoming intelligent by connecting them with a suitable cloud and other devices. The connection between the embedded and web worlds poses new challenges which also make it more difficult to assure software quality.
IoT developers who usually have more background in embedded but less development experience in cloud development, or vice versa, lack the necessary experience in both areas to develop sustainable test strategies time-efficiently.
THE GOAL
An Efficient Test Strategy for IoT Devices and Backends
Based on established test strategies for software products, the individual components of IoT applications and their interactions with the environment must also be tested. Test developers make use of a “mocking” technique here, in which components that are not the focus of testing are replaced by placeholders (mocks).
Distributed systems, especially IoT systems, pose other challenges for test developers: Timing, communication and security mechanisms make mocking more difficult. IoT developers should be provided with an environment in which they can develop tests in a familiar way “as usual”.
Here, no role should be played by the communication aspects or the various technologies of the backend or the IoT device. In addition, the tests should be reusable through the various development stages. For easy maintenance, the interfaces should be the same for the backend and device mocking.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHT
Smart Devices on the Test Bench
Developing, validating and testing software for networked devices in the Internet of Things: We show scenarios for ensuring the software quality of IoT applications.
THE SOLUTION
Easy Mocking in IoT Systems Using the
Vector CANoe Connectivity Features Service
The Connectivity Features Service of CANoe makes it easier to test IoT systems. It provides communication libraries for MQTT, in which the connection setup for encrypted communication is also handled.
MQTT topics can be defined intuitively via annotations in CAPL interfaces, making them available for the mocks. This allows test developers to focus instead on the behavior of the test system (SUT). This efficiently prevents or limits errors and inconsistencies in the implementation of communication. CANoe supports automated testing, integration of additional models for representing the system environment, and failure simulations.
THE ADVANTAGES
MQTT Communication with Vector CANoe
The CANoe Connectivity Features Service simplify access to the test system (SUT) via the backend or via a local broker. Other advantages:
- Implicit handling of protocol-specific aspects: Encrypted communication, for example, is set up by CANoe.
- Option of simulated system environment by providing other models.
- Testability of backend and IoT device in real and virtual environments without having to make modifications.
- Continuous synchronism of tests for backend and IoT device: The same interfaces are used for both ends which assures that changes made to the MQTT interface are always consistent.
- Easy to start up a homogeneous tool chain.
- Supports automated tests and incorporation into continuous integration.
Project Analysis
Overview of Quality, Processes and Standards
Squore is an innovative dashboard which supports decision-making: It simplifies quality management in software development, improves project performance and software quality and assures conformance to processes and standards.
Squore/Software Analytics automatically collects and aggregates the measured values of various tools over the entire project life cycle.
This gives users a comprehensive and historical insight into the software product and its development process.
SQUORE KEY INSIGHTS
- Overall ratings
- Trend analyses
- Forecasts
- Project comparisons
