Abstract
Keywords: test environment, controller, mobile working machine
This paper introduces a test environment to assist development of automated mobile working machines´ control systems. The test environment development is a part of larger project `Kovera´ (Development Process for Networked Control Systems in a Mobile Working Machine). And Kovera belongs to a larger research programme `KITARA´ (Information Technology in Mechanical and Automation Engineering Research Programme), which is funded and organized by the Academy of Finland (http://www.aka.fi).
Traditionally testing environments, especially simulation environments of mobile working machines, have been focused mainly to mechanics and hydraulics. These software can take into account dynamics of the system and, if needed, parts can be flexible. Implementing of the controller to these software has been impossible or quite demanding. Also the controller must have been rather simple.
Some other parts of automated machines, such as controllers, have been developed in other environments, such as Matlab/Simulink or some other function block software. This model-based design is widely used for the software and controller development and testing (Gillet and Laoufi, 2006). Pure code generation has been popular also. In these systems the development and testing of the created code can be very efficient, but usually the plant model of the physical machine has been quite simple and therefore not very accurate.