An automated testing system for nuclear power DCS communication interfaces

Abstract

This application discloses an automated testing system for nuclear power DCS communication interfaces, comprising a testing system and a DCS system. The testing system includes a test server, test workstations, and communication stations, which are connected via a switch. The DCS system includes an operator station, a server, a first-class gateway, a second-class gateway, a third-class gateway, and a fourth-class gateway. The operator station is connected to the server, the first-class gateway, and the second-class gateway via a management network. The server is connected to the third-class gateway and the fourth-class gateway via a system network. The switch is connected to the management network via a management network interface. The communication stations are connected to the first-class gateway and the third-class gateway via a first communication interface and to the second-class gateway and the fourth-class gateway via a second communication interface. This application's testing system offers high testing efficiency, improves test coverage, reduces human error, enhances on-site commissioning efficiency, and lowers on-site commissioning costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automated testing technology for system-level interfaces, and in particular to an automated testing system for nuclear power DCS communication interfaces. Background Technology

[0002] The digital instrumentation and control system of a nuclear power plant includes many independent systems provided by different third-party suppliers. These systems transmit a large amount of data through communication interfaces. However, during the DCS factory testing phase, it is not possible to obtain dedicated instrumentation and control systems supplied by other suppliers, and there is a lack of actual connection objects when testing the DCS system in the factory.

[0003] To ensure the correctness of communication between the DCS system and third-party systems and reduce on-site implementation risks, DCS suppliers need to conduct full-coverage testing of communication functions during the factory testing phase. Currently, network communication testing of DCS systems typically employs the following methods to ensure the correctness of these communication interface designs: Static inspection, checking all DCS communication variables, such as physical connection methods, communication protocols, configuration parameters, communication point tables, and configuration logic, to verify consistency with input files; Dynamic testing, using manual testing methods, employing software testing tools to simulate interface devices or systems, manually changing the data at the transmitting end of the communication interface, reading the corresponding data at the receiving end, and manually verifying the consistency of the transmitted and received data to determine the correctness of the communication data. To improve testing efficiency, dynamic testing generally uses a sampling method; Simulation testing, using software tools with standard protocols to simulate third-party systems for dynamic communication signal simulation testing; On-site debugging, where multiple actual systems are interconnected during the on-site debugging phase to perform physical system interface debugging and communication testing. However, existing testing methods have the following shortcomings:

[0004] 1. Static inspection can only detect discrepancies between configuration parameters and communication data and input, but cannot detect interface data transmission problems;

[0005] 2. When the communication list of the third-party system and the communication list of DCS are inconsistent in format and the amount of communication data is large, manual inspection and comparison are prone to human error.

[0006] 3. The configuration parameters and test data of the simulation test are artificially constructed by the testers according to the test requirements and cannot be equivalent to the actual third-party system configuration;

[0007] 4. When the amount of communication data is large, dynamic sampling will reduce the test coverage, while full testing will consume a lot of test time and resources, resulting in low test efficiency and easy introduction of human error.

[0008] 5. Insufficient testing will leave a lot of problems for the on-site debugging stage, increasing debugging time and occupying the limited on-site work window and resources. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Based on the above-mentioned technical problems, this application proposes an automated testing system for nuclear power DCS communication interfaces.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the first aspect of this application proposes an automated testing system for nuclear power DCS communication interfaces, including a testing system and a DCS system.

[0011] The testing system includes a test server, a test workstation, and a communication station, which are connected via a switch.

[0012] The DCS system includes an operator station, a server, a first type gateway, a second type gateway, a third type gateway, and a fourth type gateway. The operator station is connected to the server, the first type gateway, and the second type gateway via a management network, and the server is connected to the third type gateway and the fourth type gateway via a system network.

[0013] The switch is connected to the management network via a management network interface;

[0014] The communication station is connected to the first type of gateway and the third type of gateway respectively through the first communication interface;

[0015] The communication station is connected to the second type of gateway and the fourth type of gateway respectively through the second communication interface.

[0016] Optionally, the management network interface is an RJ45 network port.

[0017] Optionally, the first communication interface is an RJ45 network port.

[0018] Optionally, the second communication interface is an RS485 serial port.

[0019] Optionally, the test workstation is configured with communication protocols and parameters through test software.

[0020] Optionally, the communication parameters include at least one of IP address, MAC address, and serial port parameters.

[0021] Optionally, the communication station supports Modbus TCP, Modbus RTU, UDP, IEC104, and SN4 protocol communication.

[0022] Optionally, the test workstation imports the communication list of the third-party system under test through the test software.

[0023] Optionally, the communication list format supports TXT, CSV, XLS, and PDF.

[0024] Optionally, the testing system includes multiple test workstations, each of which independently performs multiple communication interface tests.

[0025] Based on the above technical solution, this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0026] By directly using communication data and parameter configurations from third-party systems, the test execution process is automated, the test process can be fully recorded, and test records can be automatically generated. This improves the test efficiency and test coverage of factory testing, reduces human error, helps to detect communication problems between the DCS system and the third-party system in advance, improves on-site debugging efficiency, and reduces on-site debugging costs. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automated testing system for the nuclear power DCS communication interface according to one embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the test data stream of a DCS receiving gateway according to one embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the test data flow of a DCS transmitting gateway according to one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0031] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0032] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments, which should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

[0033] Example

[0034] To address the problems in the existing technology, this application proposes an automated testing system for nuclear power DCS communication interfaces.

[0035] According to one aspect of this application, an automated testing system for nuclear power DCS communication interfaces is proposed, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes a test system 100 and a DCS system 200.

[0036] The testing system 100 includes a test server 110, a test workstation 120, and a communication station 130. The test server 110, the test workstation 120, and the communication station 130 are connected via a switch 140.

[0037] The DCS system 200 includes an operator station 210, a server 220, a first type gateway 230, a second type gateway 240, a third type gateway 250, and a fourth type gateway 260. The operator station 210 is connected to the server 220, the first type gateway 230, and the second type gateway 240 through a management network. The server 220 is connected to the third type gateway 250 and the fourth type gateway 260 through a system network.

[0038] The switch 140 is connected to the management network via a management network interface 141. The management network interface 141 is an RJ45 port. The switch 140 is a gigabit switch with at least four gigabit RJ45 ports used for internal networking within the test system, enabling data exchange between the test server 110, test workstation 120, and communication station 130.

[0039] The communication station 130 is connected to the first type of gateway 230 and the third type of gateway 250 respectively through the first communication interface 131. The first communication interface 131 is an RJ45 network port.

[0040] The communication station 130 is connected to the second type gateway 240 and the fourth type gateway 260 respectively through the second communication interface 132. The second communication interface 132 is an RS485 serial port.

[0041] The test workstation 120 configures the communication protocol and parameters through the test software. The communication parameters include at least one of IP address, MAC address, and serial port parameters. The test software is installed on the test workstation 120, the test server 110, and the communication station 130, respectively, to implement automated testing functions such as test configuration, test execution, and test record generation.

[0042] The test workstation 120 imports the communication list of the third-party system under test through the test software. The communication list supports TXT, CSV, XLS and PDF formats.

[0043] The communication station 130 supports Modbus TCP, Modbus RTU, UDP, IEC104, and SN4 protocol communication.

[0044] The functions of each module in the testing system are described in detail below:

[0045] Test server 110 can be installed with the Windows Server 2012 operating system and has one gigabit RJ45 network port for networking. Test server 110 is equipped with test server software and database software to store user information, configuration information, test data, etc., process data from communication station 130, process requests and commands from test workstation 120, and support data storage and retrieval from multiple test workstations 120.

[0046] Test Workstation 120 can be equipped with a Windows 7 operating system and comes with one gigabit RJ45 network port for networking. The application software installed on Test Workstation 120 is used for test configuration and execution, and includes functions such as communication protocol and parameter configuration, communication data import, test case import, test execution, test result viewing, and test report export.

[0047] Communication station 130 can be installed with a Windows Server 2012 operating system, configured with multiple serial port cards and multiple network port cards, and expanded with four RS485 serial ports and five Gigabit RJ45 network ports for data communication. It handles the transmission, reception, and processing of management network data from test server 110 and the DCS system, and also has the capability to transmit, receive, and process third-party data. The four RS485 serial ports and four Gigabit RJ45 network ports of communication station 130 are respectively connected to the Category 4 gateway of the DCS system under test. The connection medium is Category 6 network cable and / or shielded twisted-pair cable.

[0048] In one embodiment of this application, the testing system includes multiple test workstations 120, each of which can independently perform multiple communication interface tests.

[0049] The testing principle is as follows:

[0050] The testing system can be used for factory testing of the communication function between non-safety-grade DCS systems in nuclear power plants and third-party instrumentation and control systems. It supports bidirectional communication using five communication protocols: Modbus TCP, Modbus RTU, UDP, IEC104, and SN4.

[0051] When applied to DCS receiver gateway testing, the test data stream is as follows: Figure 2 As shown: After importing the test cases, the test begins to execute automatically. Test workstation 120 automatically loads the configured third-party communication data values ​​and sends them to the communication station 130 of the test system. Communication station 130 then packages these data according to the configured communication protocol and sends them to the DCS gateway. Test workstation 120 then reads the communication data received by the DCS gateway through the DCS management network, parses it, and compares it with the communication data sent by test workstation 120. Based on the judgment criteria in the test cases, it automatically judges the test results and generates test records.

[0052] When applied to DCS transmitting gateway testing, the test data stream is as follows: Figure 3 As shown: After importing the test cases, the test begins to execute automatically. Test workstation 120 automatically loads the configured communication data and forces the DCS communication signals to test values ​​through the DCS management network. These signals are sent to communication station 130 through the DCS gateway. Communication station 130 then converts these data into internal protocol packets of the test system and sends them to test workstation 120. After parsing, test workstation 120 compares the data with the data sent to DCS and automatically judges the test results according to the judgment criteria in the test cases, generating test records.

[0053] The testing process consists of three phases:

[0054] (I) Test System Configuration Phase

[0055] (1) Configure the communication protocol and communication parameters through the test workstation software to ensure that all configurations are consistent with the third-party system configuration;

[0056] (2) Import the communication list of the third-party system through the test workstation software. The import tool supports TXT, CSV, XLS and PDF formats;

[0057] (3) Configure the communication interface parameters of the test system communication station, such as IP address, MAC address, serial port parameters, etc.;

[0058] (4) After configuration, download the communication parameters and communication data generated by the test workstation to the communication station and start the communication station software.

[0059] (II) Test Preparation Phase

[0060] (1) The management network interface is connected to the management network of the DCS system, the RJ45 network port of the communication station is connected to the network protocol gateway of the DCS system, and the RS485 serial port of the communication station is connected to the serial port protocol gateway of the DCS system.

[0061] (2) Write test cases according to the communication list and the format of the automated test case template and import them into the test workstation.

[0062] (III) Test Execution Phase

[0063] (1) Select the test cases to be executed from the test workstation and execute the tests automatically;

[0064] (2) The testing software automatically loads test cases and forces the input signal values ​​to be changed line by line to be consistent with those in the test cases;

[0065] (3) After the test software delays, it reads the actual output value and compares it with the output signal value in the test case to make a judgment. If the actual output is consistent with the expected output, the test passes; otherwise, the test fails.

[0066] (4) After all test cases have been executed, test records will be automatically generated according to the template.

[0067] Based on the above technical solution, this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0068] 1. Supports automated testing of external communication interfaces for nuclear power DCS using multiple communication protocols;

[0069] 2. Supports testing by connecting the network port and serial port to the DCS system using different protocols;

[0070] 3. Supports importing and converting communication lists in multiple file formats, effectively reducing human error in manually configuring communication data;

[0071] 4. Provides a set of test case templates. The system can automatically load the data in the test cases, change the input signal values, obtain the output signal values, and automatically give the test results after comparison, without the need for manual intervention, which greatly improves test efficiency and test coverage.

[0072] 5. Test records are automatically generated after the test is completed, effectively preventing the falsification of test data;

[0073] 6. The testing system supports the deployment of multiple test workstations and can independently conduct multiple communication interface tests simultaneously, effectively improving testing efficiency.

[0074] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0075] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0076] The logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a sequenced list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus or device (such as a computer-based system, a processor-included system or other system that can fetch and execute instructions from, an instruction execution system, apparatus or device).

[0077] It should be understood that various parts of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented in software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0078] It should be noted that, in the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

Claims

1. An automated testing system for nuclear power DCS communication interfaces, characterized in that, Including testing systems and DCS systems, The testing system includes a test server, a test workstation, and a communication station, which are connected via a switch. The DCS system includes an operator station, a server, a first type gateway, a second type gateway, a third type gateway, and a fourth type gateway. The operator station is connected to the server, the first type gateway, and the second type gateway via a management network, and the server is connected to the third type gateway and the fourth type gateway via a system network. The switch is connected to the management network via a management network interface; The communication station is connected to the first type of gateway and the third type of gateway respectively through the first communication interface; The communication station is connected to the second type of gateway and the fourth type of gateway respectively through the second communication interface.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The management network interface is an RJ45 port.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first communication interface is an RJ45 network port.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second communication interface is an RS485 serial port.

5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test workstation is configured with communication protocols and parameters through test software.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The communication parameters include at least one of IP address, MAC address, and serial port parameters.

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The communication station supports Modbus TCP, Modbus RTU, UDP, IEC104, and SN4 protocol communication.

8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test workstation imports the communication list of the third-party system being tested through the test software.

9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The communication manifest format supports TXT, CSV, XLS, and PDF.

10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The testing system includes multiple test workstations, each of which independently performs multiple communication interface tests.

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