Validation test of SVP Protocol implementation and assisted recovery of railway interlocking functionality.
Brief
Design and perform functional validation of a 2oo2 Microprocessor platform implementation of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana’s Standard Vital Protocol (SVP) in an Interlocking (IXL) system.
Design and execute the validation activities of the assisted recovery functionality implemented in the new Baseline of the same system.
Project challenge
To verify the compliance of the functional behaviour of the Equipment Under Test (EUT) with RFI’s specifications and product requirements and immediately detect any criticality. Support the client in the requirements analysis, implementation definition, test case design and creation of test configurations.
Solution
NIER defined the test specifications, identifying and designing the most suitable configurations for verifying the requirements, carried out the set-up of the test environments in the laboratory (wiring and configuration of the EUT) and performed the tests on the equipment (using multi-protocol simulators).
The meticulous study of test cases and the targeted choice of the most probable configurations made it possible to promptly identify the gaps in the system created (functional and design) and to operationally optimise the tools made available by the client for the execution of the task.
The key points of the “solution” offered by NIER were:
- The continuous and timely interfacing with the various project stakeholders;
- The sharing of a strong experience in the domain, combined with the proposition of new ideas and various approaches to the problems faced.
Execution phases
Brainstorming sessions with the client to define new features and translate them into use cases and consequent requirements.
Analysis and review of system documentation (SyRS, SyAD, Interface specifications).
Drafting of the validation plan and test specifications.
Test site set-up (wiring and configuration).
Development of simulation tools for the execution of tests and implementation of scripts aimed at semi-automating the analysis of the collected Logs (Python/C).
Optimisation of the test tools provided by the Client.
Execution of Black-box Functional Tests.
Jointly addressing criticalities and anomalies found during tests on targets and creation of Change Requests (CR) together with the Design team.
Support to the design team in the debug phase.
Release of the Test Report.
Achieved results
By meticulously managing the Verification and Validation process, NIER supported the client in achieving a twofold objective:
- discovery of system defects (at the level of specifications, implementation, performance and sometimes also at the process level), with identification of non-conformities;
- assessment of the usability and reliability of the EUT in various operational contexts.
It was thus possible to verify the target’s functional behaviour and its adherence to RFI specifications and client needs. Furthermore, by maintaining a clear, high-level supervision of the project, NIER identified and revealed new needs and potential capabilities to the client.