Simulation & Testing

Software testing is always specified by the end user and promised by systems suppliers, so why do so many seem reluctant to give it the recognition it deserves?

How many stories have you heard about late delivery, lost production and profits due to poorly implemented and untested software?

Automation is complex, it can also be expensive. Software errors are a fact of life, even the most diligent programmer may still supply software with some errors . Putting right these errors can be expensive, during development the cost is relatively low, during commissioning the cost is relatively high, if not found until the system is in production these same errors can result in excessive costs due to lost production and even safety related problems. A recent study by the British Computer Society states that...

"around 50% of software development costs are
wasted on program re-writes".

TrialRun

TrialRun is a suite of integrated applications that allow you to connect your computer to one of the many supported PLCs and then run and test your PLC program as though the PLC was connected to it's real world inputs and outputs. Thus you can test and prove your PLC program without the need to be connected to the I/O modules.

Most people think simulation is complex and time consuming ... it isn't !

The thing to remember is that all the complexity is in the PLC program and you have already written that. All you will be doing with TrialRun is simulating the various I/O devices on the plant, things such as valves, probes, starters etc. Most, if not all, of these devices can usually be simulated using just one block. After the first couple of times you use TrialRun, you should be able to setup a simulation to test a fairly complex job in a matter of hours, or a day at most.

As well as allowing you to simulate and test your PLC program, TrialRun allows you to log data gathered from your PLC to your hard disk. This can be done as part of your testing and commissioning phase, or it can be used as a stand alone application once the plant is running, thereby allowing you to gather critical data and analyse it at a later date if required. TrialRun can also be used to train operators before the plant is commissioned, giving them increased confidence and reducing plant downtime.

To find out more about how TrialRun could help you with your PLC testing and simulation contact us now.