Architecting an Automated Test Bed for System-Level Validation

Client's Overview:

The world leader and the largest manufacturer of water heating products from North America, globally recognized for their heating, cooling and commercial refrigeration products.

Challenges:

A product manufacturer needed a structured system-testing approach for a complex product system. The objective was to architect, build, and install a test bed capable of connecting to the product under test and supporting controlled testing, monitoring, data collection, and analysis.

Solution and Approach:

The system-testing approach included:

Defining test-bed objectives
Developing the test-bed architecture
Connecting the product under test to the test bed
Providing controlled variation of operating loads
Providing variable-voltage and variable-frequency power input where required
Collecting and storing monitoring data
Time-stamping test data for further analysis
Supporting certification and compliance testing in laboratories

The test bed was also designed to collect product data through a serial interface. A computer-based setup managed commanding, data collection, and data storage, with provisions for local storage and periodic cloud backup. Automated test scripts could also be executed from the same setup.

Testing Methodology

The system-testing methodology included:

Test prioritization, ensuring critical functions are tested first
Requirement-to-test-case traceability
Test-case review for logic, accuracy, and completeness
Product under test
Peripheral controllers
Software for command, monitoring, and logging

Outcome:

The approach established a controlled environment for system-level validation, enabling structured test execution, automated data collection, monitoring, and analysis of product behaviour.