Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - VITE (Virtualisation of the testing environment)

Teaser

ERTMS lacks of a common framework in testing and validation. Besides, on-site testing is used predominantly leading to high costs.The main objective of VITE is to reduce on-site tests to reducing overall testing costs by:1. Proposing a testing framework that can be accepted by...

Summary

ERTMS lacks of a common framework in testing and validation. Besides, on-site testing is used predominantly leading to high costs.
The main objective of VITE is to reduce on-site tests to reducing overall testing costs by:
1. Proposing a testing framework that can be accepted by all railway stakeholders and whose main strength will be to perform as many tests as possible in the lab. An analysis of uncertainties and a methodology for test protocols optimisation will also be addressed.
2. Proposing a standard architecture for the lab testing including the interface specs for the connection real equipment- lab tools and for a remote lab-lab connection and developing some SW tools.
3. A demo and assessment of the proposals is performed also.
VITE consortium involves users (RU/IM), independent labs, NoBos and engineering and technological companies complementing the know-how and expertise of the S2R JU members.
The expected impact of the project is to contribute to the development of a Zero Onsite testing environment. To help the railway industry to lower the installation costs leading to a less commissioning time. European citizens will benefit from cheaper passages and better connections within Member States

Work performed

The project is organised in 4 main WPs (WP2 Test process framework, WP3 Lab architecture, WP4 demonstration, WP5 Assessment) with two transversal WPs, WP1 and WP6 for project management and Dissemination and coordination with external initiatives.
The main results achieved taking into account the initial objectives proposed by VITE project are:
Objective 1: To define a test process framework including the optimisation of the testing protocols.
With this objective VITE has contributed to the TD2.6 objectives of Assessment of todays practice of field testing, definition of a common test process framework and specification of a standardized method to derive and describe test cases:
First, by providing a report on the state of the art of testing that gathers the experience of VITE members: labs, Infrastructure Managers and Notified Bodies. This report identifies the user’s needs and requirements for the different testing campaigns.
Second, by defining a test process framework that supports the shift from on-site testing to lab testing through three main pillars:
• Use uncertainty principles to increase the confidence in lab according to VITE definition
• Exploit added value of useful lab testing
• Identify specific requirements to facilitate the shift to lab testing
D2.2 has been reviewed at the final stages of the project in order to include the lessons learned, data and feedback from the different WP’s and the uncertainties analysis.
Third, by proposing an optimisation of testing protocols elaborating a test dictionary (D2.3)

Objective 2: To define, develop and demonstrate the laboratory architecture that could contribute to the main objective of reducing onsite testing
With objective 2 VITE has contributed to the TD2.6 objectives of Definition/Implementation of a dedicated system test architecture for lab testing supporting Zero On-site testing first, by delivering specifications for the lab architecture and second by performing a demonstration:
• VITE has delivered a state of the art report which analysis the project signalling data format, the track-train interaction, the ETCS component integration in lab and the GSM-R communication channels.
• VITE has delivered a lab architecture specification which provides a general overview of the test environment, specifying the lab architecture based on the UNISIG test environment. The document defines 3 different stages from a partially implemented but operative approach to a fully implemented and extended architecture.
• VITE has delivered a deliverable on the data format which contains a deep comparison of the two main data formats used RailML and subset 112 with their advantages and shortcomings.
• VITE has completed the specification phase with the delivery of the FFFIS for the critical interfaces in the distributed lab architecture for remote testing and FIS for critical interfaces between the lab architecture and the industrial ETCS products under test OBU and RBC/IXL and has also developed a Guideline for the development of the communication between RBC and On- board unit through the GSM-R channel in the laboratory environment
• VITE has implemented the proposed architecture stage 2 and performed a demo. The second demo had some technical problems and could not be executed completely but this has led to valuable lessons learned that gave feedback to the existing deliverables

Objective 3: To assess the methodology proposed and ensure that it fits in the European process for placing in service of CCS components and subsystems
With this objective VITE has contributed to the TD2.6 objective of Definition of test process framework by delivering a report agreed by the participating NoBos that can validate the test process framework and architecture proposed.

Final results

The research is aimed at the reduction of field tests in favour of Laboratory tests in the Control-Command and Signalling (CCS) sector. This represents a main key to dramatically reduce both time and costs for Certification of generic products and Authorization to place in service (APIS) process for subsystems. Nowadays, the testing activities related to ERTMS subsystems are strongly centred on field test campaigns: this represents certainly an obstacle to get the APIS in short time. The results of the present research are expected to be an important step forward to develop a Laboratory test environment able to cope with the reproduction of real scenarios, highly requested by Infrastructure Managers, National Safety Authorities and Railway Undertakings in order to demonstrate the suitability of an on-board subsystem for a specific Railway line and its related trackside subsystem. The research outcomes would create the basis to shift the balance towards the highly repeatable and flexible Laboratory tests instead of on field test campaign creating the basis for a relevant reduction of EC Verification process and APIS time and cost.
The results of this project:
• will increase the confidence in the lab testing results (WP2 has identified some actions and requirements in this sense)
• will enhance the capability of labs (new functions, modules, I/F) – (WP3, lab architecture, has specified an architecture and implemented it (up to the defined stage 2)
• will simplify the certification and authorisation process by using these test campaigns results (WP5 has assessed the architecture and test process framework proposed, analysed the time and investment savings associated to the tests migration from on-site to the labs, and correlated the stakeholders views on that migration to the proposed lab campaigns specification.
• will allow for more widely accepted testing process by the rail stakeholders (WP2 has identified some actions and requirements in this sense)

Website & more info

More info: http://www.vite-project.com.