Selection of virtual and real interface lines when testing automated process control systems

Abstract

The introduction of automated process control systems in all areas of production requires their preliminary tests using various types of simulation. The article proposes a test method based on the synthesis of simulation and physical modeling of the work of control objects of systems, performed by program-spatial differentiation between virtual and real interface data exchange lines between information subsystems. The method of isolated channels is applicable to automated process control systems (APCS), the lower level of which includes multi-channel (redundant) control and monitoring devices for sensors and actuators. The method of reservation in this case can be arbitrary, which determined by the purpose of the reservation. The method of reservation in this case can be arbitrary, which determined by the purpose of the reservation. In connection with the use of redundancy of various types of devices of all levels in terms of safety and reliability for most process control systems, the potential prevalence of this method can be very wide [2, 5]. The method of isolated channels involves the division of interaction for a part of the channels of individual objects or groups of lower-level objects in such a way that some of the channels interact with the simulation model, and the other with real lower-level controllers. Thus, when implementing this method, the selected objects interact through one information (control) channel with simulated drivers, and through another - with real ones (Fig. 1). Thus, when implementing this method, from all M + N channels of the redundant controller of a certain lower-level process control system, the program modules of M channels interact through real interface drivers with the physical channels (the number is M) of this controller, and the remaining program modules of N channels interact with the corresponding modules (processes) of the simulation model that simulate the operation of these channels (through simulated drivers).