BMS Expertise for China - MicroNova AG
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Customer Magazine of MicroNova
02-2018
BMS Expertise
for China
Insights into MicroNova’s China strategy and the
development of the BMS market
Testing Platform for
Mobile Vehicle Apps
MicroNova bundles telco and automotive
competence for new testing solutions
Protection against Cyber
Attacks
New ManageEngine solutions for higher network
security
www.micronova.de
Editorial
„Innovation as a Priority“
Dear Reader,
I would like to start this editorial with a confession: I drive a diesel.
This might still be taken sarcastically for now, but in the current
discussion in Germany the impression sometimes arises that an
apology will soon actually be necessary from those who use this
drive technology.
A more nuanced approach would be desirable. Despite all the cur-
rent and future importance of electromobility, there are also argu-
ments in favor of a modern and clean diesel engine. This starts with
electrical power generation, extends to the life-cycle consideration
of an electric car, through to the challenges of the charging infra-
structure. And even a look at the pollutant balance is better for the
diesel engine than perhaps sometimes assumed by people outside
the industry. Personally, I would rather sit next to a diesel engine
than some laser printers... That’s why I would like everyone involved
to discuss the subject more objectively and less ideologically.
Looking at these facts, my impression is that diesel is currently a good technology that actually allows us to make the transition
to something better. That’s why we should avoid in Germany driving the automotive industry against the wall at all costs. At the
same time, it is up to the industry to prove its innovative strength – and it will not be able to avoid alternative forms of propulsion.
Are hydrogen and fuel cells or even synfuels already out of the race...? It remains exciting. For MicroNova, I can say that we already
offer suitable test systems in the field of automotive electronics for all these energy sources. This is reflected in some of the articles
in this issue of InNOVAtion, such as in the article on battery management systems.
At the same time – and I’m coming back to innovative strength here – a significant amount of focus will be on the IT side of cars in
future. Hardware has reached an extremely high level of maturity, so that services are the business models of the future. Probably
all these services will depend on the networking of vehicles. Here, too, we would like to present you with some exciting contributi-
ons, in particular on 5G and the simulation of the air interface. The integrative work of our two divisions Telco Solutions and Testing
Solutions is equally important to our founder Josef W. Karl (see Interview with Josef W. Karl) and to us as company management.
We see a lot of potential for you as our customers.
Furthermore, we do not want to forget that actual IT operations provide the technological foundation for any application. Our IT
Management team knows a thing or two about this... as do the satisfied users of ManageEngine solutions. We have therefore also
included contributions on this subject.
But if we want to talk about the actual foundation, it can only be the people who work with us and with you every day. We will
always attach the highest importance to this fact, which is why our in-house topics are, as always, an integral part of this issue of
InNOVAtion – topics with a touch of the human factor. At that I would particularly like to draw your attention to our "Special" on
the Business Park Vierkirchen. A great team has achieved an incredible result here. For this I would like to thank all those involved; I
would like to highlight three of them in particular, namely "our" Josef W. Karl with his wife Dorothee and their son Maximilian:
We all appreciate your great and always sustainable commitment for a good future of MicroNova! Not only, but also with the
construction of the new building. THANK YOU!
I wish you, as always, happy reading.
Ihr Orazio Ragonesi
002 // 02-18 // InNOVAtion
Table of Content
002 // Editorial
003 // Table of Contents
Testing Solutions
004 // BMS Expertise for China
MicroNova’s experts provide insights into the company’s China strategy
and the development of the BMS market
008 // Automated Testing Worldwide
Test Cloud Controller and Test Case Generator are now available under
a license model
012 // EXAM UserDay 2018
Exciting use cases and new products took center stage at the EXAM UserDay
2018
Telco Solutions
014 // Telco Meets Automotive – Thanks to 5G
MicroNova’s telco and automotive experts develop a testing platform for
mobile vehicle services
020 // CPCM becomes COM5.Mobile
The Common Planning & Configuration Manager (CPCM) has a new name
021 // Establishment of 5G BERLIN e.V. Innovation Cluster
MicroNova helps to promote innovations associated with 5G technologies
022 // AI for 5G
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wiegand, Director of the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz
Institute, on the new mobile radio standard
026 // COM5.Rail: Monitoring for Railway Mobile Radio
MicroNova’s monitoring and analysis solution for optimum quality in railway
mobile radio
IT Management
030 // Keyword: Stability
Rheinland Versicherungsgruppe relies on ManageEngine Applications Manager
032 // Powerful Trio for Greater Security
New ManageEngine solutions help to better protect corporate networks
from cyber attacks
036 // Work Productively Thanks to monday.com
The project- and time management tool monday.com helps teams work
together more efficiently and communicate better
038 // News
042 // Business Park Vierkirchen
048 // Imprint
InNOVAtion // 02-18 // 003
Testing Solutions
BMS Expertise for China
Electric mobility is booming in Europe, but the greatest growth
potential is currently in the Chinese market. The software and
systems house MicroNova specializes, among other things, in
the testing of electric motors and battery management systems.
Martin Bayer, Head of Testing Solutions, and Franz Dengler,
Senior Technical Expert HiL Simulation, present MicroNova’s
China strategy and explain the challenges and opportunities
in the BMS market.
TEXT: Editorial staff PICTURES: © Daniel Krason, Magi Bagi / Shutterstock.com; © Sentavio / Fotolia.com
004 // 02-18 // InNOVAtion
Testing Solutions
InNOVAtion: The Chinese market is
not exactly easy for Europeans. Does
MicroNova have any experience there?
Martin Bayer: Whoever wants to
be successful in the Chinese market
needs, first and foremost, a good pro-
duct and a certain local presence along
with an international network. Micro-
Nova has been active in this market for
ten years now, so far mainly with test
systems for motors and drive. In ad-
dition, through our long and close co-
operation with German manufacturers
over the years, we have won partners
in China with whom we have already
carried out projects involving BMS for
VW subsidiaries. We have convinced
our customers with our more than 12
years of expertise in building battery
simulators.
InNOVAtion: The growth rate of man manufacturer in China with some We are also expanding our exper-
new registrations for electric cars is 3 million cars sold, these standards tise in China in terms of personnel:
impressive. In China, 142,445 electric will have a direct effect on both com- Our first Chinese employee is already
cars were purchased in the first quarter pany strategy as well as the pace of on board and the establishment of our
of this year alone. development. Enormous amounts of own site there is also on the agenda.
capital investment in electric mobility
Martin Bayer: The have been announced. In the coming InNOVAtion: The market outlook is
country has been the years, the VW concern plans on ma- good. But what are the current tech-
fastest-growing auto- nufacturing up to 50 different models nical challenges for battery manage-
mobile market for with alternative drives, a number far ment systems?
several years now. With higher than originally planned. The
its impressive sales figures China is product range of electrically powered Franz Dengler: Further
currently the key market, especially vehicles offered by other manufac- improving the detec-
in the field of electric mobility. As a turers is likely to develop in a similar tion of the battery's
testing specialist, however, we are not manner. state of charge (SOC)
exclusively interested in the expected and the state of health
sales of electric vehicles themselves, The battery constitutes the core of (SOH) is the current challenge for
given that most of our business is each electric car. It can account for up providers of battery management sys-
generated through product develop- to a third of a vehicle’s value. In order tems. Current systems tend to give a
ment. And this is where the greatest to keep this component healthy and rather conservative estimate of the
potential lies in China in the coming running as efficiently as possible for charge and aging of a battery; that is,
years, especially since the electric sec- as long as possible, a properly func- one that is a little worse than the ac-
tor is regulated by the state. tioning battery management system tual status. But in order to make the
(BMS) is absolutely indispensable. most efficient use of lithium-ion batte-
With the Chinese government's elec- The testing of this system is therefore ry systems, a more precise determina-
trical quota coming into force in 2019 equally important to the development tion of the state of charge is needed.
and further raising in 2020, manu- process. And this is where MicroNova This allows to minimize the safety re-
facturers will have to further increase comes into play. serves and maximize the range at no
their e-sales. For VW, the largest Ger- extra cost.
InNOVAtion // 02-18 // 005
Testing Solutions
Test station for the
1 safeguarding of all
components involved in
the charging process for
electric and hybrid vehic-
les, from the testing of the
charging column to the
inspection of the charging
infrastructure, the con-
trol units, and the entire
vehicle.
In addition to a precise calculation Our comprehensive portfolio in the InNOVAtion: How can tests be im-
of the SOC, an exact determination of BMS area is perfect for such challen- proved in order to determine the
the health of the battery cells is neces- ges. The NovaCarts products cover all condition of a battery as precisely as
sary in order to accurately calculate of the functions of a classic BMS test, possible?
the range, determine maintenance from the non-electrified testing of
intervals, and guarantee lifelong opti- electric control units (ECU) for electric Franz Dengler: What is important in
mized battery operation. The algo- and hybrid vehicles to the electrified this regard is steady further develop-
rithms developed for this purpose testing of the entire network. Para- ment in which MicroNova cooperates
must be verified for possible influen- meters can be adjusted for individual with its partners to future-proof and
ce parameters – such as temperature, tests. We can customize our products comprehensively support the testing
number of charge cycles, cell history, according to customer requirements of BMS. It is for this purpose that we
and age – in the development phase. just as we can integrate performance have worked successfully for many
This has been possible only to a lim- components into, for example, labora- years with the Fraunhofer Institute for
ited extent with real batteries: A test tory vehicles in which complete electri- Energy Economics and Energy System
run over many thousands of charge cal systems and electrical components Technology. We can currently simu-
cycles at various temperatures to set are installed. late the behavior of batteries very well
cell conditions is neither practicable using our hardware in combination
nor reproducible, or it would take ye- with electrochemical models from the
ars to do. IEE. With the further development of
battery management systems comes
new and additional requirements.
006 // 02-18 // InNOVAtion
Testing Solutions
Previous modeling approaches do
not yet cover the entire spectrum of
cell operation. Future test programs
must be able to run dynamic aging
simulations based on a physical-elec-
trochemical battery model. At the
same time, the real-time behavior of
real batteries under various influence
factors must be reliably represented.
The simulation of a cell, for example,
that has already undergone several
thousand charging and discharging
cycles, that is 75 percent charged, and
that has a current temperature of 5
degrees Celsius, must be done with in-
creased accuracy in the future.
Martin Bayer (right), Head of Testing Solutions, and Franz
2 Dengler, Senior Technical Expert HiL Simulation at MicroNova
Furthermore, it will be necessary for
the operator to be able to more pre-
cisely set the various parameters, such
as SOH, SOC or temperature, within InNOVAtion: What sales volumes
seconds via test automation. Manufac- do you expect for new BMS test sys-
turers and suppliers will then be able tems? Does the market outlook justify
to run the tests of BMS and the asso- such high – at times subsidized – in-
ciated algorithms significantly faster vestments in these kinds of research
while ensuring cost optimization. This projects?
will facilitate the development of even
better ECU algorithms. Martin Bayer: Analysts are pre-
dicting that the market for BMS, wit-
Additional significant advantages of hin the automobile industry alone, will
an expanded simulation and emula- grow 43 percent per year between
tion approach include the reproducibi- 2016 and 2021. But it is not just the
lity of the tests as well as the ability to automobile industry; developments
factor in thermal and electrical interac- in the energy sector, i.e., solar or wind
tions. In this way, significant improve- power, are also reinforcing this trend.
ments in the determination of SOC We have also been successfully in-
and SOH – when compared to current volved in these industries for a long
techniques – can be made in future time. That is why we believe that
control units of electric vehicles. This an investment in BMS technology
means that statements about critical makes sense. This is the only way to en-
parameters – such as remaining avail- sure quality and reliability and there-
able range or even battery failure – can by gain acceptance among customers.
be made much more precise for test This makes these solutions critical to
system users and subsequently vehicle the success of the traffic and energy
users in the future. transition.
NovaCarts HiL System
3 for the testing of battery
management Systems
InNOVAtion // 02-18 // 007
Testing Solutions
Automated Testing Worldwide
Now available in a license model: The Test Cloud Controller and
the Test Case Generator from MicroNova. The new solutions
significantly increase the efficiency of the testing process and
make it easier to handle the increasing number of tests for new
functions in areas such as autonomous driving and car-to-X
(C2X) communication.
TEXT: Rainer Moosburger, Tobias Weimer PICTURES: © temp-64GTX / Shutterstock.com; © Maxger / iStock.com;
© telmanbagirov, Alex / Fotolia.com
008 // 02-18 // InNOVAtion
Testing Solutions
EXAM is now accelerated by the Test Central distribution of
Case Generator (TCG): With its help, the test jobs via cloud
“TestCases” can be generated automa- The responsible auditor first hands
tically from specifications – quickly and over his test orders to the Test Cloud
with consistent quality. This increases Controller. The TCC then distributes
the efficiency of test case creation ma- them independently to x-in-the-loop
ny times over. The following overview (XiL) resources with free capacities ac-
shows exactly what the two products cording to predefined rules. The sys-
can do and how test departments be- tem uses integrated load balancing to
nefit from their use: simultaneously distribute processes
with a long runtime – such as those
required for autonomous driving –
Test Cloud Controller among several simulation instances.
In the same way as product-related If a run is successfully completed, the
innovations in the development area, client plug-in automatically provides a
the corresponding infrastructure of link to the corresponding report. Once
test departments is also changing: Up the test has been completed, the HiL
to now, teams have usually worked simulator is available again in the TCC.
together on a project – usually at the
same location – but today, electronic The central and automated placing
control units (ECU) and control com- of orders increases the availability
Automobile manufacturers, sup- ponents are often validated on specia- and utilization of the testing systems
pliers, and service providers in the test- lized test benches distributed all over – including across subsidiaries or even
ing domain are all currently facing the the world. Consequently, it is sensible national borders. In addition, existing
same challenge: to cope with the sheer to separate the creation and execut- HiL landscapes can also be used for
mass of test cases necessary to secure ion of test cases: engineers create external partners and suppliers, e.g.
all the driver assistance systems, sen- their test order but no longer have to for integration tests.
sors, charging, and communication worry about test times and free HiL
technologies of the coming genera- resources – TCC takes care of that. It This is an important step towards
tions of automobiles. MicroNova has no longer matters where and on which 24/7 testing in view of the ever increa-
used its decades of experience in test system the test is carried out. sing demand because it is not possible
automation to optimize the test pro- to scale the existing HiL systems infi-
cess with two new solutions. This means The Test Cloud Controller consists of nitely, nor is it possible to increase the
that: hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) re- two parts: The server component is in- number of test engineers indefinitely.
sources must be used optimally, and stalled on a corresponding application The solution represents an optimal uti-
automation solutions relieve the strain server, while the client component in- lization of existing test resources.
on employees. tegrates seamlessly into the test auto-
mation solution as a plug-in, enhances License model and maintenance
The Test Cloud Controller (TCC) de- it with the necessary interfaces, and With that in mind, the TCC can opti-
couples the creation and execution of enables access to the TCC system. The mize testing in any company that oper-
test cases, and automates the global procedure is very similar to starting a ates HiL test benches automatically. It
distribution of test orders to free HiL “normal” test run. The TCC practical- is the first such solution for EXAM on
resources. This lessens the workload ly functions as an upgrade that can the market.
for test engineers, improves the uti- be easily integrated into the existing
lization of existing HiL systems, and server infrastructure. This means no The Test Cloud Controller is avail-
thus enables a 24/7 testing operation. cost-intensive and time-consuming able now under a floating license: the
The implementation of test cases in new developments are necessary. prices for licenses depend on the
InNOVAtion // 02-18 // 009
Testing Solutions
TCC
number of HiL systems that are to pro- Group since 2006. Test specifications To enable fully automated genera-
cess test cases via the TCC – the num- are used as the basis for this. These tion of cases from existing specifica-
ber of test cases is irrelevant. As soon are generally not standardized, which tions, MicroNova’s developers opted
as a system has finished the test orders makes it costlier to maintain the “Test- for the following approach: the test
assigned to it by the TCC, the HiL man- Cases”: subsequent changes must be specifications were understood as a
ager logs it back out and the respec- made manually at several points – a sequence of commands. Mapping
tive license is released for another HiL time-consuming and error-prone pro- commands to EXAM operations then
simulator. Licenses can be purchased cedure. automatically generates the test cases.
directly from MicroNova and can be This saves the additional effort of
used for an unlimited period. Creating test cases automatically manually implementing the test cases.
MicroNova's Test Case Generator, The TCG is basically a functional exten-
with which "TestCases" in EXAM can sion to EXAM, from which numerous
Test Case Generator be created completely automatically users benefit.
The optimal use of HiL resources from the test specifications, provides
is always preceded by the crea- a remedy. The developers focused The consistent structure of the test
tion of test cases. Up to now, engi- on creating a central tool that could cases designed in this way contribu-
neers have usually implemented test meet the challenges mentioned above tes significantly to quality assurance:
cases for ECUs and associated soft- – more complexity, more tests – as well Using the TCG for all test runs allows
ware manually via the respective auto- as the needs of the specialist depart- their results to be checked uniformly
mation solution, such as EXAM, which ments. and the progressions to be reliably
has been in use throughout the VW tracked – a clear advantage over the
010 // 02-18 // InNOVAtionTesting Solutions
previous procedure. For manually With the node-locked license, the annual basis, covering bug fixes and
created test cases, different hand- TCG EXAM plug-in can be used on a version updates in addition to sup-
writing is more the rule than the ex- previously defined computer. In the port. Moreover, additional chargeable
ception because each tester imple- floating model, the company acquires services such as on-site installation or
ments the specifications slightly diffe- the required number of licenses, which customization, as well as consulting
rently. Previously, this has made every can then be used by the test engineers. and training, are offered as required.
review more difficult. The license is released again when
EXAM is closed. The test automation With the Test Cloud Controller and
Compared to manual generation, solution itself is of course available to the Test Case Generator MicroNova
test cases can be created far more manually create test cases as usual. supports automobile manufacturers,
quickly with the TCG. The high efficien- suppliers and service providers to
cy of the solution impresses leading This applies to both products: In the handle the growing number of tests
automobile manufacturers, given the first year, maintenance is included in for new vehicle functions efficiently,
ever-increasing number of tests: “A the license fee. Thereafter, mainten- resource-saving and with high test
test designer can manage many times ance contracts can be concluded on an quality.
more test cases with the TCG than with
purely manual implementation, which
means more results are available
Further Information
more quickly. This frees up more time
for the designers to focus on particu- Detailed articles on the Test Cloud Controller and the Test Case Generator have
larly complex cases,” explains the re- already been published in previous issues of our customer magazine (in German):
sponsible test manager at our pilot
customer. “The TCG could also be fully
integrated into EXAM. No additional Test Cloud Controller
and cost-intensive interfaces were re- Automatic allocation of test resources
quired.” bit.ly/2PlJHfw
The uniform and clearly structured
procedure when using the Test Case
Generator reduces the effort needed
to maintain test cases and significant- Test Case Generator
ly improves their traceability. Benefits Swift and efficient: Generating test cases automatically
from which companies from all indus- bit.ly/2E6kOmS
tries can benefit in ECU and software
testing. Thanks to this new tool, all
parties save considerable time, work,
and costs. There is currently no com- Further information is available for download:
parable product available for EXAM www.micronova.de/en/testing/info
among the competition.
For further information, please contact:
License model and maintenance Michael Seeger
The Test Case Generator is now avai- sales-testing@micronova.de
lable under both node-locked and +49 8139 9300-0
floating licenses. Both are valid for an
unlimited period.
InNOVAtion // 02-18 // 011Testing Solutions
EXAM UserDay 2018
On October 24, 2018, the participants at theUserDay in
Wolfsburg received a comprehensive update on EXAM:
In addition to the roadmap for the test automation solution, the
presentations and discussions focused on new products for the
efficient use of EXAM, as well as interesting use cases.
TEXT: Rainer Moosburger PICTURES: © MicroNova
MicroNova CEO Orazio Ragonesi and in particular addressed the central gnostic tools have been issued in the
welcomed the more than 60 users of role of model configuration as well as libraries.
the test automation solution EXAM, the new model structure. The expe-
and was delighted with the highest rienced EXAM specialist also used the Optimization of the develop-
number of participants of the event opportunity to announce his departure
ment process through
series in Wolfsburg to date. In the pre- from Audi and thus also his departure
sentations, experts from Volkswagen from the EXAM program. His appeal to
Continuous Integration
Group and Audi talked about innova- those present: exchange best prac- The next two presentations focused
tions in EXAM and explained the fu- tices with versioning to be as efficient on different approaches to integrat-
ture roadmap. Users from kumkeo and as possible. ing EXAM into the continuous de-
TraceTronic revealed use cases from velopment workflow – the keyword
practical work with the test automa- Sebastian Frixel-Seifert, who heads being Continuous Integration (CI). Rai-
tion solution, and the EXAM experts the EXAM program at Audi AG, then ner Moosburger, Project Manager at
from MicroNova presented new pro- provided information about the future MicroNova, first introduced the new
ducts. In addition, there was of course roadmap up to 2020. The most import- MicroNova products EXAM Jenkins
plenty of opportunity for professio- ant statement: distribution will con- Plugin and EXAM REST-API Plugin: The
nal exchange and networking among tinue. This means that the EXAM EXAM Jenkins Plugin connects the Jen-
users and with MicroNova. Group Steering Committee will con- kins CI system and EXAM via a REST
tinue to support the free use of EXAM interface. The result is the automation
by distribution partners. In addition, of test execution with EXAM. Tests are
Versioning and roadmap
the Steering Committee confirmed automated at various software de-
At the start of the afternoon, Frank that versioning is planned with the velopment stages and carried out con-
Manz, EXAM specialist at AUDI, release of EXAM 4.8 (Q4/2019) as an tinuously. This process is summarized
ex-plained the most important ad- additional paid feature. Furthermore, by the term Continuous Testing. Auto-
van-tages of versioning in the appli- additional approvals for interfaces, mated test execution also improves
cation introduced in EXAM Release 4.6 such as the ASAM XIL-API, or for dia- the utilization of test resources. Results
012 // 02-18 // InNOVAtionTesting Solutions
can also be quickly fed back into the Efficient testing: Test Cloud If the test environment is monitored in
development process, and test efforts parallel during execution using ITM in
Controller and Test Case
and sources of error in the test process EXAM, a soft reset is performed auto-
Generator
can be reduced in the long term. matically before the next test case if a
MicroNova has developed two new problem occurs. Ideally, only the re-
Philipp Looft then explained how test automation solutions to meet the sults of one “TestCase” from the night-
the engineering firm kumkeo uses ever-increasing demand for testing in ly run are lost – the rest is retained.
Continuous Integration with EXAM in vehicle development due to the con-
the field of test management for wind stantly growing variety of functions.
turbines. After a brief introduction to At EXAM UserDay 2018, David Leuck Conclusion
the design and development of a wind and Tobias Weimer demonstrated the Thanks to the exciting projects and
turbine, he showed how a solution for basis on which the Test Cloud Control- the lively exchange among users and
Continuous Integration was imple- ler (TCC) and the Test Case Generator developers, EXAM UserDay 2018 was
mented using tools such as Confluen- (TCG) were developed and how their once again a resounding success. Even
ce and Jira in conjunction with EXAM. use can save a lot of time and work for during the presentations themselves
all those involved in the testing pro- there were numerous interested ques-
As part of his presentation “INCA cess. tions, some of which were answered
or ControlDesk or CANape? – YES!” and discussed directly by the partici-
Matthias Berthold (TraceTronic) pres- Further information on the function- pants. The MicroNova EXAM team was
ented an Audi library for connecting ality of the TCC and TCG, as well as on delighted with the lively participation
the three tools mentioned in the title the licensing model, can be found in and positive atmosphere, as well as
for measuring and calibrating ECUs. this issue of InNOVAtion on 008 ff. the record number of participants and
The three tools have been imple- the consistently very positive feed-
mented in the EXAM interface Cali- At the end of the presentations, back. As always, UserDay follows User-
brationSystem (responsible for ac- Robert Herre from TraceTronic GmbH Day – planning for the next meeting of
cess to ECU addresses) with different presented Intelligent Test-Environ- users in Ingolstadt in autumn 2019 is
implementation classes – each very ment Monitoring (ITM), a method for already underway.
complex in itself. These three different monitoring and stabilizing test en-
connections have been combined in a vironments. The aim is to reduce the
new architecture and implementation: time between failures or errors in tech-
the ApplicationSystem library. This nical components as much as possible.
simplifies both the interchangeability This period is significantly shorter for
of test cases and the addition of new software tools than for hardware. Du-
tools. The new library will be available ring the nightly run of automated HiL
in the distribution version of EXAM tests, this means that if an error occurs
from version 4.8. during a “TestCase”, the entire test run
is blocked and no results are obtained.
InNOVAtion // 02-18 // 013Telco Solutions
Telco meets Automotive –
Thanks to 5G
MicroNova has been successfully active in both the
automotive and telco industries for several decades.
This expertise is now benefiting an integrated project –
a platform for the automated testing of mobile services.
TEXT: Ingo Bauer, Markus Wiedholz
PICTURES: © ParabolStudio / Shutterstock.com; © makoto-garage.com / Fotolia.com;
© Matthias Enter, vectomart, Do-Ra, telmanbagirov / Fotolia.com
014 // 02-18 // InNOVAtionTelco Solutions
5G wireless technology is seen as a Nevertheless, the introduction of 5G Service classes
key technology for the digital revolu- over the next few years will bring a va-
tion in a wide range of industries and riety of new services and applications 5G offers several service cat-
areas of life. New business models will to market maturity and hence enable egories, each covering different
emerge and existing ones will experi- business success for their providers. mobile communications needs.
ence significant enhancements and Enhanced mobile broadband
added value. This also applies to the The financial potential of the tech- (eMBB) is one such service cat-
automotive and telecommunications nology alone will ensure this: Accord- egory that provides extremely
industries. ing to estimates by one study, by 2035 high data rates of up to ten giga-
ICT companies will be able to genera- bits per second and therefore
In this digitalized world, reliability te around twelve trillion US dollars in supports services with high band-
and quality must be proven to go to- revenue from 5G technologies for ICT width requirements. Ultra reli-
gether. In the context of agile or fluid manufacturers. The potential spreads able low latency communications
developments, the importance of pow- across basically all sectors. (uRLLC) focuses on services with
erful test mechanisms is even greater low latency times of about one
than before. This is why EANTC AG millisecond – important for the
(see box page 019) and MicroNova are Network Slicing shortest response times with prac-
working together on a platform for the Some technologies within the 5G tically no service downtime; re-
automated testing of mobile services. subject field are of particular impor- levant applications include auto-
tance. These include developments in matic driving assistants in motor
radio interfaces such as beamform- vehicles or remote plant main-
5G: From hype to market ing, massive MIMO and mmWave. The tenance. Massive machine-type
As part of their surveys, market re- realization of self-organizing networks communications (mMTC) com-
search and analyst companies regu- (SON) through the use of artificial in- prises services that require a high
larly identify technology trends that telligence will significantly accelerate connection density of up to one
are set to cause a sensation in the network slicing and thus the develop- million per square kilometer, for
coming years. These trends are often ment of new services. example for the design of smart
represented in graphical diagrams cities, smart homes, and so on.
– curves, matrices, and so on – and At present, mainly static network
describe the phases of a technology slices, such as those known from NB
in terms of its public attention or mar- IoT, are still in use. Soon, flexible con-
ket penetration. According to various cepts that can be made available as
recent studies of this kind, 5G will be and when in the network will prevail
one of the most important trends in here: network slicing is the resulting
the coming years. key technology from 5G network archi-
tecture development with software-
5G will therefore follow the fami- defined networking (SDN). The service
liar path from trend to ubiquitous classes determined in the 5G standard
solution with associated services. (eMBB, uRLLC, mMTC; see box for
The technological triggers have hap- more details) can be paired to form
pened, and so we are likely to be in a functional, application-specific ser-
phase of high expectations and uncer- vices and can be provided in the form
tain business models, somewhere bet- of network slices in a dedicated way
ween innovators and early adopters, within the network (see also interview
comparable to the boom on the then with Prof. Wiegand, page 022 ff).
new market at the time of the dot-
com bubble. This also suggests that
not all business models will survive.
InNOVAtion // 02-18 // 015Telco Solutions
examples associated with 5G. With Only 5G technology enables an ex-
The key to diversified
the introduction of ever more intelli- tensive, practical, bidirectional net-
5G services
gent driver assistance systems in mass working of different sensors, actuators
This technology therefore allows production and the highly automated and control units via the air interface.
network operators to make more ver- vehicles currently being developed or
satile use of their infrastructure and to tested, expectations are rising among The development of apps, as they
offer performance-based, user-friend- all those involved. The autonomous have been common on smartphones
ly mobile communications services. level 5 driverless car will certainly re- for a long time, will thus increasingly
Whether a smart home communi- quire a lot of research before it can be find its way into the car. The particu-
cating with its occupants, machines realized. lar demands in terms of security and
communicating with each other, or a quality of all applications arising from
vehicle communicating with its sur- communication between the vehicle
roundings, an optimized network slice Automated tests and its surroundings, or the control of
is set up for each of these applications. A completely driverless car will functions in the vehicle from outside,
Network slicing functionality is there- probably only appear on the roads make an automated test environment
fore the key to supporting diversified with one of the next generations of indispensable.
5G services. mobile communications. Nevertheless,
5G is the first step toward a powerful,
Industry 4.0 and autonomous driv- fully networked world – and thus the
ing are certainly among the prominent foundation for Car2X communication.
The service classes of the 5G standard enable the provision of application-specific services and are
1 provided as so-called network slices in the network.
016 // 02-18 // InNOVAtionTelco Solutions
In recent years, not only the number of available driver assistance systems has increased, but also
2 their degree of automation. The German Association of the Automotive Industry assumes that
automated functions will be successively developed over the next few years. As a result, automated dri-
ving will probably initially become possible in "controllable" situations (e.g. in multi-storey car parks or
on the motorway). © VDA
smartphone (mobile UE), the associa- Test systems that can be automated
Test bench for mobile
ted backend, and the mobile network with EXAM, for example, are already
applications are now also part of the overall system. used today to ensure overall system
This applies both to protecting This requires modified test systems to functionality or to guarantee end-to-
against malicious hacking attacks ensure the correct functioning of the end protection. The correct function
and to a corresponding, clearly de- overall system. of the backend interface and the func-
fined behavior in the event of failure tion of the smartphone application are
of the basic mobile service. Micro- In the overall test, however, the mo- central aspects here. This process uses
Nova is working together with EANTC bile network in particular was only a a test rack with corresponding real
on a solution for an automated test “more complex” cable and played a ECUs, which is addressed by EXAM. It
bench for testing mobile applications. rather subordinate role provided the is also possible to communicate with
This includes simulating the mobile data was transmitted correctly. The the smartphone application via inter-
network as well as the communica- testing world will change in the context faces like Appium or Selenium. In this
tion between vehicle, mobile UE and of software defined services – there way it is possible to check the entire
backend. will no longer be “one” service; rather, communication chain, from app to
it will become more and more flex- backend to test rack – repeatably and
Whereas in the past the “device un- ible and, as an essential component of reliably. The more complex the test
der test” (DUT) was the vehicle, new the overall system, must nevertheless environment, the more vital struc-
elements have been added in the age be tested accordingly. This requires tured, tool-based testing becomes.
of networked cars. Besides the vehic- more flexible simulations and test sys-
le itself, mobile applications on the tems.
InNOVAtion // 02-18 // 017Telco Solutions
In order to be able to test the ever- adjusting poor network coverage or Test system architec-
increasing number of networked func- incorrect or “swallowed” data, etc. 3 ture: Using EXAM, the
tions in future, it will be necessary to So far, manufacturers and suppliers test engineers can address
use virtualization and simulation much have implemented all such aspects by both the test bench with
more – this is the only way that all test means of complex “drive tests”. How-
real ECUs and the smart-
scopes can really be carried out with ever, these scale poorly and testing ef-
phone apps.
a high quality of results. Mechanisms fort rises – and it rises even higher the
such as the simulation of ECUs have more complex functions are operated
long been established and used in in- in the vehicle via networking. For this
dustry, but other components such as reason, it is necessary to integrate the
the air interface or the backend are still possibilities resulting from 5G into the
facing challenges. field of action of the established test
mechanisms for vehicle electronics.
In addition, there are test require-
ments that are difficult to replicate in
a real mobile network. This includes
018 // 02-18 // InNOVAtionTelco Solutions
Conclusion EANTC AG
5G will open up a variety of options EANTC AG is an independent network technology competence center that of-
for making vehicles and traffic itself fers its telecommunications services and solutions to both manufacturers and
more intelligent and safer. Compre- users. EANTC was founded in 1991 by Herbert Almus, the current Chairman of the
hensive tests are necessary to ensure Supervisory Board, at the Technical University of Berlin, with a research focus on
that these options reach customers network technologies and multimedia applications (PRZ / FSP-PV). In addition to
securely and reliably. The major task research and development, EANTC initially tested and certified FDDI (fiber distri-
is to consolidate existing test approa- buted data interface) systems. Starting in 1993, the tests offered were extended
ches in such a way that the end result to include ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) and other high-speed network
is an integrated test with the highest technologies. Clients at that time already included almost all leading manufac-
possible degree of automation. This is turers of network components. At the end of 1999, EANTC was spun off as a
the only way to ensure traceability and stock corporation with the support of the TU Berlin. The company still cooper-
structure in the tests. ates closely with the TU Berlin today. The spin-off expands the range of services
to include technologies such as multi protocol label switching (MPLS), IP (Internet
Protocol) switching, triple play and voice transmission via the Internet (voice over
DSL and voice over IP) as well as mobile radio technologies.
InNOVAtion // 02-18 // 019Telco Solutions
CPCM becomes COM5.Mobile
MicroNova’s configuration solution for mobile networks has a
new name: The Common Planning & Configuration Manager
(CPCM) is now known as COM5.Mobile.
TEXT: Editorial staff PICTURE: © sdecoret / Shutterstock.com
Many well-known brands have coming 5G mobile communications
been renamed in the course of time. standard and the five cornerstones
Many in Europe still know Twix as of network management: Fault man-
Raider, and Toyota is soon to make agement, configuration management,
an about-face: the Corolla became accounting management, perfor-
the Auris, which is becoming the mance management, and security ma-
Corolla. And at the end of October nagement – FCAPS for short.
2018, CPCM became COM5.Mobile.
For the users, everything remains the
The reason for the new name is the same. From the architecture to wor-
more differentiated design of the pro- king with the solution and its features,
duct, because almost at the same time COM5.Mobile will continue to offer all
as the name was changed, another the functions required for optimum
member of the COM5 family “saw the network planning and configuration
light of day”: COM5.Rail is developed in the future. The three expansion le-
especially for the railway market and vels “Network Audit”, “Network Audit geneous regional network and man-
premiered in September at this year’s Plus”, and “Full Scope” also still exist. agement structures and allows for ex-
InnoTrans, the leading international This makes COM5.Mobile the ideal so- pansion to a central database for over-
trade fair for railway technology. While lution for managing both the mobile arching comparisons. The result is an
the “classic” COM5.Mobile continues network and, above all, the Radio Ac- optimally configured and therefore
to specialize in the configuration of cess Network (RAN), because the gro- efficient network – for satisfied custo-
mobile networks, COM5.Rail targets wing complexity of network techno- mers of mobile providers.
rail radio – GSM-R and ETCS (European logy is making a perfect configuration
Train Control System) or ERTMS (Euro- increasingly important – and 5G will
pean Rail Traffic Management System). take this to a new level.
CPCM
Open concepts are essential in this The COM5 base platform (for-
The idea behind the name regard, since they can be flexibly merly CPCM) has been a success-
In light of the clearer differentia- adapted to new circumstances while fully established system for the
tion, it was important to the Telco also taking into account the main configuration management of
Solutions team that the topic of “com- management indicators such as mobile networks for many years.
munication” was directly included time-to-market, quality, and efficien- With Vodafone and Telefónica,
in the name of the solution. With cy. With COM5.Mobile, MicroNova two of the three providers in Ger-
the increasing internationalization of offers a versatile, flexible best-practice many have long relied on COM5.
both MicroNova and the department, solution, which is independent of the Mobile for a total of almost 90
the English spelling was set. The “5” network supplier. The software com- million users.
in COM5 symbolizes both the up- bines the view of the often hetero-
020 // 02-18 // InNOVAtionTelco Solutions
Establishment of 5G BERLIN
e.V. Innovation Cluster
In September 2018, partners from business and research
launched the 5G BERLIN e.V. innovation cluster aiming
to promote innovations associated with
key 5G technologies for urban
application environments.
TEXT: Editorial staff PICTURE: © sdecoret / Shutterstock.com
university “Technische Universität the fields of passenger transportation,
Berlin”, and will be used to test key semiconductors, network equipment
5G technologies for urban applica- suppliers/operators as well as start-
tions under real conditions. The infra- ups and trade associations expressed
The 5G BERLIN initiative is driving structure comprises 5G macro cells their interest in participating in the 5G
digitalization in the German capital. with smaller radio cells to provide BERLIN innovation cluster.
For this purpose, a test environment local, large-bandwidth, and highly
is being set up for joint research proj- responsive communications. In order “MicroNova’s commitment as one of
ects, to try out 5G technologies, and to achieve very high data transmis- the founding partners of 5G BERLIN
to develop new applications. Fur- sion rates, streetlights are equipped e.V. underscores the potential we see
thermore, an information network and connected with 5G technology. in the new mobile communications
is being created to provide the basis The components for the 5G test en- standard. Many of the future busi-
for new partnerships and to support vironment are supplied and further ness models have not even been put
the transfer of knowledge. The 5G developed in the overall system by down on paper yet, let alone entered
BERLIN innovation cluster therefore the project partners, modeling all the into development. However, there is
constitutes a regional as well as natio- relevant technology components of a a large number of applications in the
nal networking platform for start-ups, 5G network. pipeline,” says Georg Kieferl, Head of
small and medium-sized businesses, Telco Solutions at MicroNova. “Our
research institutes, universities, large participation will enable us to play an
corporations, and public agencies.
Strong partnerships active role in shaping the technology,
The founding members include and thereby to strengthen our inno-
atesio, EANTC, the Fraunhofer- vation leadership in configuring and
5G test environment
Gesellschaft, GasLINE, Highstreet planning mobile networks. This will
for urban applications Technologies, HyperMesh, Infotecs, benefit our customers and their users.”
The 5G test environment is being and MicroNova. At the time it was
set up on the North Campus of the established, other companies from
InNOVAtion // 02-18 // 021Telco Solutions
AI for 5G
Interview with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wiegand
TEXT: Editorial staff PICTURES: © metamorworks, Olivier Le Moal / Shutterstock.com
022 // 02-18 // InNOVAtionTelco Solutions
InNOVAtion: Many of our readers
are from the automotive industry.
What approaches do you see here
through 5G? How can 5G BERLIN e.V.
InNOVAtion: MicroNova is espe- help to get these out onto the road?
cially active in the field of automatic
rollouts and network configuration of Wiegand: The new mobile radio
multi-vendor and multi-technology standard makes full use of its advan-
radio access networks – what insights tages in particular when it comes to
can you give our readers and custom- latency-critical applications – i.e. ap-
ers with regard to 5G? plications in which there must be no
delay in response time. 5G opens up
Wiegand: Operating future net- completely new worlds here. The aim
works will become increasingly com- is to expand the network to a high de-
plex – networks must therefore con- gree of reliability so that safety-critical
figure themselves automatically. This applications then become possible.
will increasingly be realized auto- In terms of autonomous driving, for
matically via software and artificial example, a fast reaction time is es-
intelligence (AI). One challenge is the sential, especially in dangerous situa-
hardware-related design and align- tions. In addition, sensors generate
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wiegand is one ment of base stations. Multi-vendor an immense amount of data; the high
of the two directors of the Fraunhofer activities will only become interest- transmission rate of 5G and the edge
Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin and ing once regional and “private” 5G computing concept help to transfer
has been involved in mobile commu- network licenses are awarded and and process these data volumes. Net-
nications for many years. He was a will enable smaller providers to par- work slicing, mentioned previously,
driving force behind the foundation ticipate in the market for the first time. also allows networks to be divided up
of the innovation cluster 5G BERLIN virtually according to requirements
e.V., a partnership between research InNOVAtion: What influence will AI and applications – as flexibly as re-
and industry to promote innovation have on network expansion and opti- quired and on demand. With its test
relating to 5G. The editorial staff of mization? field, 5G BERLIN can gain vital insights
InNOVAtion spoke with Prof. Wiegand that can be used in a variety of ways –
about the newly founded association Wiegand: 'Network slicing'¹ will for including for autonomous driving and
and about 5G technology. the first time provide a highly flex- networked driving with Car2X com-
ible virtual layer in the physical com- munication. The test field offers ideal
InNOVAtion: What particular tech- munication networks. In this case, for conditions for developing and testing
nological challenges do you see in the example, AI could predict demand in 5G test vehicles from the automotive
introduction of the 5G standard? the specific network slices and opti- sector in a real urban environment.
mize network utilization accordingly.
Wiegand: The technological chal- Edge data centers² play a key role 1
Editor's note: Here the network is
lenges lie explicitly in the implementa- here, as they can perform latency-criti- divided into so-called disks with
tion of the ambitious key performance cal calculations locally. As a result, AI dedicated service quality. This en-
indicators (KPIs), such as 1 ms latency will have more and more influence on sures even ultra-reliable, delay-free
services. See also article p.014 „Telco
and a data transfer rate increased by networks of the future. The 5G BERLIN
meets Automotive".
a factor of 100-1000 compared to 4G. association will intensively test net-
The better compression of future net- work virtualization and network slicing
2
Editor's note: A concept in which part
of the cloud intelligence migrates
works also poses a particular financial on the 5G test field, where state-of- back to the individual devices or
challenge. the-art edge data centers will use AI. sensors.
InNOVAtion // 02-18 // 023Telco Solutions
InNOVAtion: Why do we need 5G InNOVAtion: 5G works in the milli-
when information is being processed meter wave range, meaning that range
locally again via edge computing? and penetration of solid objects are
severely restricted. How can a network
Wiegand: Purely decentralized data with high coverage be realized despite
processing is not enough, networ- this?
king must remain the priority if we
want to transfer data and thereby en- Wiegand: In the 5G standard there
sure mobility. However, latency-criti- are basically two different bands, one
cal preprocessing can be carried out at 3.5 GHz and then at 28 GHz. Only
at very high speeds using decentra- the upper band represents the real
lized processing. FPGAs are used as millimeter wave range, where shading
"Purely decentralized elements of edge computing. They effects can occur more often. How-
data processing is not supplement a “deep” cloud in such ever, this band primarily serves to
a way that latency-critical classifica- provide a very high data rate for a
enough, networking must tion in real time is possible using AI, high subscriber density in very close
remain the focus if data for example. The extension of the proximity to terminals by means of
is to be transferred and classic cloud to future “cloud layers” small cells, and thus it is not intended
mobility guaranteed." in 5G networks makes it possible to for nationwide network coverage. Part
train AI in the deep cloud with large of the activities of the 5G BERLIN asso-
– Prof. Dr.-Ing.
volumes of data, and to run it in the ciation is to install and test such small
Thomas Wiegand,
edge cloud for real-time applications, cells.
Executive Director,
where less storage resources are re-
Fraunhofer HHI
quired. A flow of data into the deep InNOVAtion: With 5G, it is not only
cloud with a lot of memory can in turn consumers who will have significantly
be used for online training of AI. Com- more bandwidth – how can companies
munication with very high data rates benefit from the new technology? Can
remains a central element of 5G. 5G BERLIN provide help here?
InNOVAtion: From experience, we Wiegand: Companies can definite-
know that area-wide radio networks ly benefit from the new technology.
in particular are highly susceptible to We’re not just talking about large cor-
interference and have gaps in cover- porates that may take advantage of
age. What do you consider the main “private” 5G networks for an Indust-
challenges for network operators, and rial Internet of Things (IIoT) in their
when and how can these be tackled? factories, but also SMBs and start-
ups that can use the novel infrastruc-
Wiegand: We are not a network ture for their innovative products. The
operator, but the challenges are prob- virtualization of networks makes 5G
ably that, in addition to the auction appealing for both hardware and soft-
fees for the 5G frequencies, immense ware companies. With its test field, 5G
financial resources have to be made BERLIN can try out this wide variety of
available for network expansion in or- developments in an urban environ-
der to achieve a higher reliability than ment, and thus thereby turning them
with 4G networks. The German go- into market-ready products faster. This
vernment has scheduled the auction “unfair advantage” will in particular
for the first quarter of 2019. From this help start-ups and SMBs to quickly es-
viewpoint, it remains to be seen how tablish themselves on the market with
much the three major operators are their products.
prepared to invest this time for spec-
trum allocation.
024 // 02-18 // InNOVAtionTelco Solutions
InNOVAtion: Do you expect 5G to gnals per frame (fps), can be done in InNOVAtion: How much are you
boost concepts around mixed, aug- the edge cloud and transmitted to the thinking about 5G’s successor, and
mented and virtual reality (MR, AR & end device – such as VR glasses – with what takeaway can you give our read-
VR)? very low latency. This allows smal- ers?
ler end devices with low computing
Wiegand: It is only with 5G and power, which also benefits battery Wiegand: Further technologies are
edge computing that AR, VR and MR life. Real-time transmission with very already being researched. The trend
really become possible in the high- low latency allows VR glasses to be is likely to be towards the continued
resolution field. At the moment end used without dizziness or headaches. use of higher frequency bands, from
devices are simply too large and bulky, Real-time transmission to several VR higher millimeter wave frequencies
since the computing power must be glasses is also possible, e.g. for the beyond 100 GHz to the use of tera-
present on them. This will change fun- business case of major events with all hertz transmission. However, this has
damentally with the low latencies and glasses being synchronized. been purely speculative so far and it
edge computing of 5G. The complex remains exciting to see which develop-
calculations, for example of video si- ments will come out on top.
InNOVAtion // 02-18 // 025You can also read
