PiL-test: Testing the POUs on the PLC

This article is about the workflow phase "PiL-Test (on PLC)". (info)  This phase applies to an application and a library.

In the phase "PiL-test (on PLC)", the →PiL-test is executed in Neuron Power Engineer for each POU on the actual PLC again verifying that the POU fulfills its specification and requirements when executed in the target environment. 
The PiL-test must be executed after the SiL-test.

The PiL-test generates a PiL-test report for the POU. This PiL-test report is proving that all requirement are verified by the test on the actual PLC. By comparing the SiL-test report with the PiL-test report, it is ensured that the implementation behaves identical in the simulated environment and in the target environment. This is also a condition for operating a safety application.

In case of the LVL-workflow, this phase can be omitted, if you comply with all warnings and/or notes as listed under "Recommendations for LVL-workflow".

  1. How to test a →POU on the PLC or how to perform the PiL-test for a POU ((warning) see PiL-test: Testing the POUs on the PLC):

  2. If the IOs of the safety →PLC are connected, make sure that the facility is protected accordingly to protect persons from any hazardous events and/or even harms.. (warning) See the "logi.µSRTS safety manual" for warnings/notes on the functional safety of a facility before the release of an application or when operating a safety PLC in test mode. 

  3. Make sure that the Neuron Power Engineer project contains the required device object.
    (info) This device object is needed to execute the PiL-test. The device object has automatically been created when the project has been created (as instructed under "Implementing the POUs").

  4. In the Neuron Power Engineer project, have the implemented test cases executed as PiL-Test. Details: See Neuron Power Engineer user documentation, "Executing the test"

  5. Check the test report of the PiL-test to determine the executed tests. Compare that the same tests have been executed during the SiL-test. (warning) See PiL-test: Testing the POUs on the PLC.
    To open the test report, click the appropriate link that is displayed in the console displaying the progress and the result of the test execution.

  6. Keep the PiL-test reports because the names and fingerprints of the elements in these PiL-test reports will need to be compared with the information contained in the build report (see "Building and loading the application onto the PLC") or the library generation report (see "Creating and deploying a library").

Warning 1

For POUs for which the LVL workflow is not applicable, the PiL test is mandatory for each POU.

Warning 2

You must check for each POU which tests have been executed during the PiL-test.

  • It is mandatory that the same tests are executed during the PiL-test as have been executed during the SiL-test.

  • The number of the executed tests must correspond to the expectations that are based on the test specification for the POU.