Konformitätstest - ein notwendiger Schritt für den PROFIBUS auf dem Weg zur offenen Kommunikation im Feldbereich

In order to ensure the operation of open communication systems with at least possible errors suitable precautions have to be taken, the adherence to which is imperative for all manufacturers of components for such systems. Part of this is the conformance test, which is a test for the compliance of the respective protocol implementation with the corresponding protocol standard. Within the framework of the collaborative project "Fieldbus" sponsored by the BMFT, as well as within a follow-up collaborative BMFT project for the provision of the infrastructure for conformance and interoperability tests, new conformance test systems are being developed for the protocol standard "PROFIBUS". The Fraunhofer Institute of Information and Data Processing (IITB) is the project leader for this development and also has an essential share in it. With the customer-friendly conformance test systems for the protocol layers 2 and 7 the IITB offers permanent testing services to all manufacturers of PROFIBUS components as a customer service. Using the example of the conformance test of the protocol layer 2 the structure and operation of the PROFIBUS test systems as well as structure and execution of test cases are introduced in more detail. The objective of the BMFT collaborative projects for conformance test, the state of the project as well as the conditions for the test within the IITB are described.