Systems for and methods of automatically scheduling and executing in situ tests on electrical and mechanical systems
A testing platform tests an electrical and mechanical system such as an HVAC unit according to an algorithm that reduces the total testing time of the components of the system, while ensuring the safety of the system during system-wide testing. The platform uses constraints that are checked both before and during the testing to ensure that HVAC operating conditions are acceptable for starting and maintaining component tests. Preferably, the platform uses finite-state machines for each device to organize the component tests, allowing for monitoring of constraints and starting, pausing, and stopping component tests. Preferably, total test execution time is reduced by running component tests in parallel, running component tests based on loads of the components, or combinations of both.
1. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium, the non-transitory computer readable recording medium having stored thereon a plurality of computer-executable instructions that, when executed, test an electrical and mechanical system comprising a plurality of interconnected devices, each device of the plurality of interconnected devices comprising one or more components, each of the one or more components being associated with a corresponding component test, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
ranking the plurality of interconnected devices in order of decreasing loads on the plurality of interconnected devices;
selecting a first set of conditions that allow component tests to be executed on a first set of components of devices of the plurality of interconnected devices having higher loads before component tests are executed on a second set of components of devices of the plurality of interconnected devices having smaller loads; and
executing the component tests on the plurality of interconnected devices according to an execution schedule based on the first set of conditions.
2. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
selecting a second set of conditions that postpone execution of the component tests on the second set of components until component tests have been executed on the first set of components;
wherein the execution schedule for executing the component tests on the plurality of interconnected devices is based on the first set of conditions and the second set of conditions.
3. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 2 , wherein the component tests are embodied in finite-state machines.
4. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 3 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
grouping components of the plurality of interconnected devices into groups of components capable of being tested in parallel;
wherein the execution schedule for executing the component tests is further based on criteria comprising the groups of components capable of being tested in parallel.
5. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 4 , wherein the execution schedule for executing the component tests is further based on criteria comprising at least one constraint for starting execution of the component tests and at least one constraint for maintaining execution of the component tests to minimize a total execution time of the component tests.
6. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 3 , wherein the execution schedule for executing the component tests is further based on criteria comprising states of the finite-state machines.
7. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 6 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
monitoring the states of the finite-state machines, and in response to a change in the state of any of the finite-state machines, updating the at least one constraint for starting execution of the component tests, or updating the at least one constraint for maintaining execution of the component tests.
8. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 7 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
detecting that one of the components is unresponsive to the corresponding component test;
placing the unresponsive component into a recovery state; and
updating the constraints to indicate that the unresponsive component is removed from the groups of components capable of being tested in parallel.
9. A testing system for testing an electrical and mechanical system comprising:
a processor; and
a computer readable medium in communication with the processor, the computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a test method, the computer-executable instructions including:
ranking the plurality of interconnected devices in order of decreasing loads on the plurality of interconnected devices;
selecting a first set of conditions that allow component tests to be executed on a first set of components of devices of the plurality of interconnected devices having higher loads before component tests are executed on a second set of components of devices of the plurality of interconnected devices having smaller loads; and
executing the component tests on the plurality of interconnected devices according to an execution schedule based on the first set of conditions.
10. The testing system of claim 9 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further include:
selecting a second set of conditions that postpone execution of the component tests on the second set of components until component tests have been executed on the first set of components;
wherein the execution schedule for executing the component tests on the plurality of interconnected devices is based on the first set of conditions and the second set of conditions.
11. The testing system of claim 10 , wherein the component tests are embodied in finite-state machines.
12. The testing system of claim 11 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further include:
grouping components of the plurality of interconnected devices into groups of components capable of being tested in parallel;
wherein the execution schedule for executing the component tests is further based on criteria comprising the groups of components capable of being tested in parallel.
13. The testing system of claim 12 , wherein the execution schedule for executing the component tests is further based on criteria comprising at least one constraint for starting execution of the component tests and at least one constraint for maintaining execution of the component tests to minimize a total execution time of the component tests.
14. The testing system of claim 11 , wherein the execution schedule for executing the component tests is further based on criteria comprising states of the finite-state machines.
15. The testing system of claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
monitoring the states of the finite-state machines, and
in response to a change in the state of any of the finite-state machines, updating the at least one constraint for starting execution of the component tests, or updating the at least one constraint for maintaining execution of the component tests.
16. The testing system of claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise:
detecting that one of the components is unresponsive to the corresponding component test;
placing the unresponsive component into a recovery state; and
updating the constraints to indicate that the unresponsive component is removed from the groups of components capable of being tested in parallel.