KhronoSim: A Platform for Complex Systems Simulation and Testing

Abstract

Current smart factories, and technologies such as cyber-physical systems and Internet of Things have transformed the working environments, that now incorporate digital machines with information technology. Integrated automated systems require being accurate and dependable even though operating in a non-predictable environment. The needs for testing, quality assurance, and maintenance for such types of systems are continuously increasing, and testing frameworks are often used to execute automated tests on those systems. With the objective of providing a support and enabling infrastructure for testing cyber-physical systems in closed-loop, it was designed and developed the KhronoSim testing platform. This paper presents the KhronoSim platform and architecture. It is modular, extensible and usable in multiple application domains. It features real-time control and enables the joint and flexible integration of simulation models and physical components or subsystems to build a closed-loop test environment. Furthermore, the paper presents a case study, displaying the flexibility and modularity of the KhronoSim platform and its capacity of integrating solutions from external sources, simulators, communication protocols, power sources, electrical inputs/outputs, demonstrating that it is a robust platform that is useful for testing and simulation of complex systems, yet allowing the use of physical and virtual systems alike.