Process Chain Testing With Mobile Logging and Automated Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
In industrial environments, testing process chains with safety-critical components is challenging due to the complexity of recognizing correct behavior, requiring specialized training and being prone to errors, especially in systems where nuances are hard to perceive for less experienced personnel.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a control unit and mobile terminal device connected via a communication interface to field devices, allowing for precise control and data reading, along with recording devices to generate log records that document and evaluate the behavior of process chains, enabling reliable and precise testing without extensive training or expensive equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If software-based systems guide testing personnel through testing processes, then testing can be performed by personnel with short instruction, but correctness and reliability of testing deteriorate due to complex behavior recognition and hard-to-perceive nuances
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically records measurement values and test results during the testing process and compares them against expected behavior defined in test specifications. This automated feedback mechanism ensures testing correctness regardless of personnel expertise level, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and testing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual observation and judgment of process chain behavior with automated electronic measurement and evaluation systems. Sensors, actuators, and control units automatically detect and record system states, substituting human perception with precise electronic measurement, thereby maintaining reliability while improving ease of operation.
2Measurement precision
If manual testing processes are used with experienced personnel, then testing accuracy improves, but requirement for specialized training and regular personnel increases
Solution Approach 1:
The testing system performs self-verification by automatically comparing measured values against predefined test specifications and expected behavior. The system independently evaluates test results and identifies deviations without requiring external expert judgment, achieving high measurement precision while simplifying the overall testing system structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an automated evaluation system as an intermediary between the process chain under test and the testing personnel. This intermediary automatically processes measurement data, compares it against specifications, and presents results, thereby achieving expert-level accuracy without requiring expert personnel while keeping the system relatively simple.
3Reliability
If comprehensive testing procedures are implemented to ensure safety-critical system reliability, then system safety improves, but testing time and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Test specifications and expected behavior are defined in advance before actual testing occurs. The system pre-configures test parameters, measurement points, and evaluation criteria, allowing comprehensive safety testing to be executed efficiently during the actual test run without time-consuming manual preparation during the testing process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated testing system continuously monitors and records process chain behavior throughout the entire testing process without interruption. Measurement values are continuously acquired and evaluated in real-time, ensuring comprehensive safety verification while minimizing total testing time compared to intermittent manual checking.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for testing a process chain in an industrial environment, wherein the process chain has at least one field device, comprises a control unit and a mobile terminal device. The control unit communicates with and controls the at least one field device during a testing process and/or read out of data. The mobile terminal device has at least one recording device configured for recording a behavior of at least a part of the process chain, and the mobile terminal device is configured for generating, from information recorded by the at least one recording device, a log record of the at least one part of the process chain and storing the log record.