SERCOS III testing system ensures interoperability

A test tool for slave devices on the SERCOS III Ethernet-based automation bus ensures that SERCOS III slave implementations from different manufacturers are compatible and interoperable.

July 30, 2010

The SERCOS III Slave Conformizer test tool for slave devices on the SERCOS III Ethernet-based automation bus ensures that SERCOS III slave implementations from different manufacturers are compatible and interoperable. Certification test software is available to manufacturers who wish to pre-test SERCOS III slave devices in their facilities prior to the formal testing at the SERCOS test lab. This provides a high assurance of passing the formal test at minimal time and costs.

The SERCOS III Conformizer provides a test and development environment for SERCOS III slave devices. It includes an active PCI-SERCOS III interface card and the test software, which runs under Microsoft Windows XP without the need for real-time extensions.

The Conformizer is said to be easy to use with a graphic user interface (GUI) based on the Eclipse framework. Tests activated by the GUI are specified using the Ruby script language. Pre-defined scripts are available for testing the communication, the generic device profile, and the function-specific profiles for drives and I/O points. Product- and vendor-specific scripts can be easily integrated.

www.sercos.com/products/sercos3_test_master.htm

Also read:

High Performance Industrial Networks, original research by Control Engineering

Plug into Industrial Ethernet Protocols

Industrial Networks: Open Source

– Edited by Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering, www.controleng.com