Virtual test bench for Steering Software - MicroNova
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Customer Magazine of MicroNova
01-2021
Virtual test bench for
Steering Software
Innovative test procedure for safety-critical
components
Network Slicing
Service- or application-oriented allocation of
network resources
Mobile document
provisioning
ManageEngine solution supports Bay Logistik
Enterprise Mobility Management
www.micronova.de
Editorial
„2021 – Now Delivery Is Made“
Dear Reader,
Now, 2021, delivery is made. Telecommunications and automotive
companies have been investing in two key areas of innovation
for quite some time: 5G and the paradigm shift in automotive
drive technology. 2021 will for the first time see 5G offerings on
a significant scale, and just about every carmaker will offer, launch,
or introduce at least one all-electric model.
That a crucial part of this feat of strength took place in the middle
of the greatest economic crisis since the end of World War II is all
the more impressive – but the coronavirus may well have been a
catalyst in some instances. This has given rise to a spirit of optimism
in many places. It is precisely this kind of "let's get on with it" men-
tality that I often recognize among our customers and the members
of the MicroNova team.
Now, something that probably brings a smile to the face of every
company executive: Our Testing Solutions division has achieved
technological leadership, thanks to increasing “cloudification” as
well as modularization and a great deal of solution expertise in all
aspects of battery and hydrogen testing solutions. Contributions in
this issue of InNOVAtion, starting on page 4, discuss, among other
things, a virtual test procedure for the validation of control software, BMS tests and a general classification of the cloud topic in
the testing environment.
IoT solutions are gaining momentum in the wake of 5G – which is why the Internet of Things is a natural extension of MicroNova's
business model. Two articles starting on page 14 explain this in more detail. There are also aspects "directly within the mobile net-
work" that merit close attention – such as the topics of network slicing, artificial intelligence and grey spot sharing. And, Alexander
Seitz from Telefónica Deutschland talks about COM5.Mobile and network optimization in an interview.
As always the rule holds true that there can be no innovation without efficient IT. This is also underscored in this InNOVAtion by
contributions from the areas of IT Management, IT Security and Project Management. And, each of these three aspects is so essen-
tial that it would be difficult to single out one; you can see this from page 36 onward.
If in the previous issue of our customer magazine Maximilian Karl, the company owner, had his say, it is now the turn of his father
and MicroNova founder, Josef W. Karl, to speak up again and put all topics in the context of MicroNova's innovative strength.
I now wish you, as ever, an enjoyable read. And stay healthy!
Orazio Ragonesi
002 // 01-21 // InNOVAtion
Table of contents
002 // Editorial
003 // Table of contents
Testing Solutions
004 // Virtual test bench for steering software
The VW Group relies on MicroNova for the validation of steering control
units.
008 // HiL: BMS testing with cell controller simulation
ElringKlinger relies on NovaCarts for testing battery management systems.
013 // Just asking...
MicroNova COO Dr. Klaus Eder on the company's cloud strategy.
Telco Solutions
014 // IoT – new in the MicroNova portfolio
MicroNova supports medium-sized companies with custom-fit IoT concepts.
016 // Ready-to-use IoT offering
The OpenGate© platform from MicroNova partner amplía))) enables
customized IoT solutions.
020 // Network slicing: a key 5G technology
MicroNova supports mobile network operators in a service- or application-
oriented allocation of network resources.
026 // Grey Spot Sharing in the 4G network
German mobile communications providers close wireless gaps by sharing
network technology.
028 // In conversation with Alexander Seitz (Telefónica)
The Head of Access Network Design, Performance and Optimization of
Telefónica Germany on network optimization with COM5.Mobile.
030 // Into the network with artificial intelligence
AI-based methods help realize new 5G network solutions. MicroNova is
already using them for network data analysis, among other things.
IT-Management
036 // ManageEngine expands portfolio
Two new ManageEngine solutions for IT service providers and departments.
038 // Enterprise mobility management for Bay Logistik
Bay Logistik manages mobile devices with Mobile Device Manager Plus from
ManageEngine.
040 // IT security - sysbus.eu talks to MicroNova
Interview with MicroNova employee Julia Reuter about IT security and data
loss prevention.
042 // 3 Tips for Successful Project Management
MicroNova uses three scenarios to show how projects can be organized even
better with monday.com.
046 // Short News + Supervisory Board
048 // Imprint
InNOVAtion // 01-21 // 003
Testing Solutions
Virtual Test Bench for
Validating a Steering
Control Unit
Electronic control units for automotive applications are
becoming increasingly complex – new strategies are therefore
required for validating the software. MicroNova is working
with the VW Group to develop a virtual test procedure for
the reliable validation of steering software.
TEXT: Robert Evert, Andreas Drews, Stephan Schmidt PICTURES: © archy13 / Fotolia.com;
© Open Studio / Shutterstock.com
004 // 01-21 // InNOVAtion
Testing Solutions
Automotive manufacturers and sup- frequently used buzzwords in ECU simulation includes not only the exe-
pliers need new approaches and test development. The core element of all cution of the individual instructions
systems for the validation of new implementations in these areas is the of the processor, but also the imple-
driver assistance systems all the way separation of the software test from mentation of all registers present as
through to autonomous driving. The the target hardware, i.e. the control hardware, as well as the simulation of
aim of Volkswagen Group Compo- unit. The test is usually carried out on processor timing. The detailed re-
nents is the comprehensive and ef- PC systems, although calculations can presentation of cache accesses and
ficient validation of the software of a also be offloaded to other hardware memory areas allows test engineers to
steering control unit. such as graphic cards or FPGAs if ne- identify errors deep within the system.
cessary. These systems can be run lo-
Volkswagen and MicroNova have cally or in cloud data centers. The virtual test stand consists of two
been developing various approaches redundantly configured threads, each
to virtual testing since 2016, i.e. PC- If this type of virtualization is extend- with a multi-core processor. The pro-
based simulation for the validation ed to other connected peripherals, cessor communicates with the vehicle
of control unit software, on the basis such as actuators, sensors and the ve- bus system, performs inter-ECU (IEC)
of their long-standing cooperation in hicle bus, the result is a test bench that communication and receives sensor
the field of HiL (hardware-in-the-loop) could also be implemented as an HiL signals from user inputs for steering
testing and test automation. The vir- system. According to the experts at and other assistance functions. It also
tual electronic control unit (vECU) MicroNova, such an expansion of the provides a motor control function (hp).
has always been at the center of all test systems used is unavoidable due The motor model was implemented in
approaches. The jointly developed to the stringent demands of testing the form of a circuit simulation, which
concept is an extension to previous control units for automated vehicles. also partially takes into account tran-
HiL or SiL (software-in-the-loop) test The concept developed by VW and sient switching processes of the motor
benches. MicroNova allows test cases to be exe- control function. The rest-bus simula-
cuted on a virtual test bench, with only tion originates from a hardware test
This innovative approach by the test- minimal adjustments compared to bench and is connected via a simu-
ing experts at VW and MicroNova of- conventional hardware test benches. lated vehicle bus in a slightly modified
fers significant benefits. The steering HiL systems can therefore be supple- form.
software can be validated very early on mented and test capacities significant-
in the development process in dynam- ly expanded.
ic tests up to a classification accord-
ing to ASIL D (see box). In addition, Functional safety in ac-
Implementation of the
errors can be identified at an earlier cordance with ISO 26262
virtual test bench
stage and hence more cost-effectively.
Linear scaling up using greater pro- The virtual test bench is based on a Risk assessment in accordance
cessing power also makes it possible co-simulation of three software prod- with ISO 26262 involves classifi-
to run tests in parallel. This provides ucts. The main focus is on the simu- cation according to ASIL (Auto-
the basis for the dynamic and cost-ef- lation of the ECU at instruction level motive Safety Integrity Level) A
ficient installation of further identical within a SystemC model that models to D. Here, ASIL D represents the
test stands or their relocation to the data transfer between the individual highest requirements, such as
cloud. Moreover, test cases can be components. The processor models those necessary for autonomous
more complex than with conventional used range from processor emulation driving. The new concept of the
systems, as the entire test bench can to RTL (register transfer level) simula- virtual test bench allows the steer-
simply be halted whenever necessary tion, depending on the desired depth ing software to be validated up to
– for example, to read out data memo- of simulation. The individual compo- ASIL D classification at a very early
ries or adjust configurations. nents are shown in the overview (Fig. stage in the development process.
1). The system for testing VW's steer-
ing software is based on a replica of
Virtual testing and
the processor and other connected
virtualization of the ECU
components for system monitoring,
The terms software-in-the-loop, vir- engine control (GDU) and bus com-
tual testing and virtual test bench are munication. In this case, the depth of
InNOVAtion // 01-21 // 005
Testing Solutions
Testautomation
Tool 1
Tool 2
Environmental model vECU Engine model
Path A
Sensor input 1
SBC 1
Core 0 GDU 1 B6 Brücke PS 1 M1
Rest bus simulation
Flexray bus
IEC
MPS 1
ΣM
MPS 2
Path B IEC
GDU 2 B6 Brücke PS 2 M2
Sensor input 2 Core 0 SBC 2
Test object Parameter data Stimulation Error injection
Overview of virtual test
1 bench with test automation.
Testautomatisierung Werkzeug 1
At the beginning, a test automation ensuring consistently high test quality interventions in the test bench, al-
solution (e.g. EXAM) starts the simu-
Werkzeug 2
and reliable verifiability of the results. lowing memory areas to be modified
lation for the test object, i.e. in this and the possibility of causing unsafe
case the unmodified steering software states or manipulation of the micro-
Possible applications
(marked green in Fig. 1). The required
Umweltmodell vECUof the system controller's
Motormodellinputs/outputs. Such mo-
calibration or learning data are auto- difications are not possible at all on
matically loaded at startup. It is pos-
Strang A
The virtual test bench offers a wide conventional hardware test benches,
sible to captureSensoreingabe
and manipulate1 data range of testing options that can be or only at great cost. The same applies,
at any point in the virtual test bench adapted to specific requirements. for example, to timeouts in monitoring
thanks to the simulation properties. Fig. 1 shows examples ofGDU possible
1 functionsPSor1 moving mechanical
M1 parts.
Core 0
Restbussimulation
These may be memory areas, hard-
Fahrzeugbus activation points in blue. As in real In the ideal case, the system behavior
ware registers, or input/output lines test benches, theseIECare triggered via of the virtual test bench corresponds
Sensor 1
of the micro-controller within the pro- the bus system or via sensor inputs. completely to that of a hardware ΣMtest
cessor model. Physical variables can What's more, the test bench provides bench.
also be specified and measured at the a variety of interfaces Sensor 2
Strang B IEC that can be used
sensors and in the motor model. As to cause specific malfunctions and to The virtual test bench still has some
the external system has no influence, measure whether the software GDUunder
2 limitations
PS 2due to the M2
model character
this procedure ensures that the test is test shows the desired response. It is of the components used: While ECU
as reproducibleSensoreingabe 2
as possible, thereby also
Corepossible
0 to undertake significant simulation, for example, is already very
Testobjekt Parameterdaten Anregung Störungen/Fehlerinjektion
006 // 01-21 // InNOVAtion
Testing Solutions
accurate, the accuracy of motor simu- nomous driving," explains Matthias
{
Test depth
lation has so far been limited to basic Glück, Project Manager Virtual ECU
motor behavior in selected operating at Volkswagen AG. "Many tests were DUT
states. An example test case consists made easier and much more efficient
of providing the sensors "Sensor input as a result. We will continue to lever-
1" and "Sensor input 2" with implaus- age the potential and opportunities
ible or invalid values and at the same we see with vECU L4 to expand and
time interfering with the thread com- improve our testing procedures."
munication (IEC). The system must also Modeled
achieve a safe baseline state in this ex- This will ensure comprehensive vali- Not modeled
treme case. dation of safety-critical components Detail level of the simulation
at various points in the development
process. High availability of the steer- The unmodified software
Conclusion
ing system is essential, in particular 2 must be executed on a
The virtual test bench that Micro- with regard to autonomous driving, fully simulated processor in
Nova developed for VW has already and must be demonstrably proven order to validate safety-critical
been successfully used in several test during testing. Virtual test benches software systems. This pro-
loops of the steering software. The dy- will be indispensable in the future for cedure is also called Level 4
namic tests went beyond the possibi- these technical requirements, such as
vECU in relation to an AUTO-
lities of many hardware test benches. high scalability and the large number
SAR-compliant software struc-
"Virtual ECU Level 4 was a new innova- of test variables that autonomous driv-
ture and does not require an
tive way for us to validate high-avail- ing entails.
assessment of the differences
ability steering systems for auto-
between the target software
and the test state.
InNOVAtion // 01-21 // 007
Testing Solutions
BMS Testing on a HiL
System Using Cell Controller
Simulation
Automotive supplier ElringKlinger is expanding its testing
expertise for battery management systems (BMS), placing its trust
in the solutions and expertise of MicroNova’s testing specialists.
TEXT: Abdülkerim Dagli (MicroNova AG), Dr. Pierre Freundt (ElringKlinger AG)
PICTURE: © Herr Loeffler / Shutterstock.com
2020 saw around 194,200 new all- in the transformation of the automo- battery technologies for vehicles for
electric vehicles registered in Germany tive industry. over 15 years and is a leading Ger-
– a new record, representing a three- man player in this field. Having start-
fold increase over the previous year. A Companies like ElringKlinger AG, ed out with battery-related compo-
significant part of this trend towards based in Dettingen an der Erms in Ba- nents such as cell contacting systems,
low-emission mobility is also attribut- den-Württemberg, have made a signi- ElringKlinger has now secured orders
able to the steady advances in battery ficant contribution to this. The auto- for complete battery modules.
technology, which is playing a key role motive supplier has been working on
008 // 01-21 // InNOVAtion
Testing Solutions
ElringKlinger is expanding its portfo- Another focus is the exact simulation module, i.e. a CSC. CSCs constantly
lio to include new products and solu- of the charging and discharging cur- measure the voltage and temperature
tions as part of its transformation from rent of the battery system as well as of the cells and pass this information
a component supplier to a systems the intermediate circuit with the vol- to the BMS.
partner. This includes, for example, the tages occurring there. In addition, a
development of a battery manage- test system should be able to accu- CSCs are primarily circuit boards with
ment system (BMS), i.e. the electronic rately simulate the entire battery, in- one or more microcontrollers, also
control unit for electric-vehicle batte- cluding cell temperature and aging, known as ASICs (application-specific
ries. ElringKlinger has chosen the soft- and simulate special signals (e.g. pilot, integrated circuits). These chips are
ware and systems vendor MicroNova crash). specially designed for monitoring lith-
as its partner for this project. With its ium-ion cells. The CSCs are connect-
measurement and simulation solu- NovaCarts test systems for BMS ed electrically to the cell poles via
tions specially developed for e-mo- meet these requirements with the re- “sense lines” in order to measure the
bility, its hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) quired accuracy through hardware and voltage of the cells. Additional lines
system “NovaCarts Battery” is ideal for software-based simulations, thus en- can also be used to connect tempera-
testing battery control units. abling realistic testing at an early stage ture sensors, which are relevant for
of development. ensuring optimum use and load of the
BMS: Multiple requirements cells.
for test systems Cell module controller
As central battery components, the
simulation – a unique feature
The battery management system cell module controllers supply the
plays a central role in battery storage Safe operation of lithium-ion battery BMS with information about the cur-
systems: besides monitoring the indi- cells requires the continuous moni- rent state of the cells. The BMS would
vidual cells, it also assures functional toring of cell voltage and tempera- not be able to collect any useful infor-
safety by preventing overcharging or ture. To this end, each of the modules, mation on the state of the battery with-
excessive discharging of the cells. The each of which groups together several out them and pass it on, for example,
BMS also provides the main communi- cells in a battery, has its own monitor- to calculate the remaining range. CSCs
cation interface to other control units ing electronics unit. This consists of therefore undergo repeated optimiza-
in the vehicle. For example, in addition cell module controllers (CMC), also tion in the course of the development
to measuring battery voltages, it can known as cell sensor circuits (CSC) or of a BMS. ASICs are most frequently
also work together with the speedom- cell supervision electronics (CSE). Each subject to modification, as the de-
eter and navigation system to calcula- cell is connected to such a monitoring velopment process often involves the
te range.
About ElringKlinger AG
The requirements for appropriate
test benches for their reliable valida- As a global, independent vendor, ElringKlinger is a strong and reliable partner
tion are therefore just as varied as the for the automotive industry. The company offers innovative product solutions for
battery management system func- all drive types – whether passenger cars or commercial vehicles, with combus-
tions: The HiL systems must simulate tion engines, hybrid technology or all-electric vehicles – thereby contributing to
all conditions to which a BMS can be sustainable mobility. Lightweight design concepts reduce vehicle weight, which
exposed in a realistic and reproducible in turn reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in internal combustion en-
manner. This is the only way of ensur- gines and increases the range for alternative drive systems. ElringKlinger posi-
ing and proving that the system is tioned itself early on as a specialist in electromobility with cutting-edge battery
functioning correctly. and fuel cell technology and electric drive units. The company is continuously
developing its sealing technology for a wide range of applications. Its shielding
One of the key challenges in devel- systems ensure optimum temperature and acoustic management throughout the
oping BMS test systems is the high- vehicle. Dynamic precision parts from ElringKlinger can be used with all drive
precision simulation of individual cell types. Engineering services, tooling technology and products made of high-per-
voltages. While overall voltage is up formance plastics – also for sectors outside the automotive industry – round off
to 1,000 volts, it is necessary to dis- the portfolio. In total, around 10,000 employees at 44 locations worldwide work
play differences in the millivolt range. within the ElringKlinger Group.
InNOVAtion // 01-21 // 009
Testing Solutions
Functional scheme of the BMS HiL system used at ElringKlinger.
1
Positive trend for e-cars integration of chips that are more po- be easily tested in combination with
werful and more suitable for the ap- the BMS – without significant change-
At around 194,200, electric ve- plication in question. Replacing ASICs over and downtime or conversion
hicles achieved a share of just can be time-critical for development, costs. MicroNova’s CSC simulation
under seven percent of total new as they also play an important role in currently supports chips from Texas
registrations in 2020, while con- communication with the BMS. This is Instruments, Analog Devices, Linear
ventionally powered cars account- because CSCs are not always available Technology, and MAXIM Integrated.
ed for around 74 percent. Hybrid in time for validation tests when the Simulations for additional chips can be
vehicles accounted for a further new ASICs are introduced. developed on demand.
18 percent and natural gas and
liquefied petroleum gas for a fur- In this purpose, MicroNova offers
ther one percent. Trust and cooperation
a simulation solution that emulates
ASICs and their function in the BMS- on eye level
The target set by the German CSC network. This CSC simulation is ElringKlinger’s development and test
government in 2013 of one mil- based on an FPGA-based hardware engineers were able to draw on the
lion electric vehicles on Germa- solution that can be used both on the decades of experience of MicroNova’s
ny’s roads by 2020 was therefore HiL system and as a desktop applica- consultants and project engineers in
unfortunately not met. However, tion. The associated software allows the fields of test & validation, simula-
the latest registration figures in- a choice between different ASICs for tion development and project man-
dicate a clear trend in society and simulation. This approach allows vali- agement when establishing a test pro-
a rethink towards more environ- dation tests for the BMS to be started cess for their own BMS development.
mentally friendly and sustainable at a very early stage, since no real CSC Even the initial meeting and the joint
mobility. components are required. Moreover, preparation of specifications were
CSCs from different manufacturers can characterized by a spirit of partner-
1
https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/wirtschaftspolitik/eine-million-elektroautos-bis-2020-merkel-haelt-an-absatz-
ziel-fest-12196498.html
010 // 01-21 // InNOVAtionTesting Solutions
ship and goal-oriented cooperation. ment and testing strategy,” says Dr. and the engineers at the Leonberg site
Close contact was also maintained Pierre Freundt, Head of Battery Test- are available to assist in ongoing op-
with those responsible at ElringKlinger ing & Validation at ElringKlinger, erations.
during the implementation of the proj- explaining the company’s motiva-
ect. Regular updates on the status of tion. “The decisive factor in choosing Summary
the HiL setup and the implementation MicroNova as a project partner in the The transformation in mobility is ad-
of the software elements meant that field of HiL testing was, apart from its vancing, and battery technology has a
changes could be introduced at any many years of experience in testing central role to play in this. High-qual-
time, even at short notice. battery management systems, its high ity products and excellent coopera-
level of expertise in simulating cell tion have been impressive in the im-
“We have expanded test capacities module controllers.” plementation of further tangible steps
in the area of battery storage as well from the very outset. ElringKlinger
as module and cell testing in order The “NovaCarts Battery” BMS HiL AG has already embarked on the first
to continuously broaden our e-mo- system was commissioned on sched- enhancements to the CSC simulation,
bility portfolio and have invested in ule. This was partly carried out on which will lead to even closer coopera-
corresponding test benches with cli- site at ElringKlinger, but for the most tion between the two companies. The
mate function. A major factor in this part remotely. In addition to a detailed focus is on further use cases in the
is the ability to master the battery briefing on the test system, training context of electromobility.
management system as well. In addi- was also provided on how to operate
tion, the development and validation the hardware and software. Both the
of key components such as the BMS HiL support engineers at MicroNova’s
form core elements of our develop- corporate headquarters in Vierkirchen
Red Hat Innovation Award
MicroNova supplies key components for VW innovation project
TEXT: Editorial staff
Every year, the open source provider world testing. With this new environ- ards such as the Connected Mixed
Red Hat honors five particularly inno- ment and an architecture created with Reality (CMR) environment and to
vative customer projects with the "Red "Red Hat Open Innovation Labs", the contribute to the success of this proj-
Hat Innovation Awards". This year, one VW Group's development division im- ect with some of our products. The
of the award winners is Volkswagen proved the integration of components, MicroNova software "NovaCarts Vir-
AG. introduced self-service provisioning, tual" for HiL systems, for example, is an
and reduced system testing costs by important component for CMR as a
To improve the speed, scalability and 50 percent. simulation node.
consistency of testing ECUs for mo-
dern vehicles, VW Group used Red Hat MicroNova congratulates VW on
technology to develop a test environ- their success! We are proud to be able
ment that combines virtual and real- to help develop forward-looking stand-
InNOVAtion // 01-21 // 011Testing Solutions
MicroNova Live!
Meet our experts here.
TEXT: Editorial staff PICTURE: © Brian A Jackson / Shutterstock.com
tronics as well as monitoring of fuel Webinars
Events – the real ones, not vir- cells and electrolyzers (Booth 23, List
tual ones – have been rare in recent Hall). In order to also keep you up to
months for reasons we all know. How- date virtually with the latest so-
ever, there are now increasingly opti- Battery Experts Forum lutions and technologies, Micro-
mistic plans for some industry events. Messe Frankfurt, Hall 6.0 Nova offers free webinars. If you
Our experts from the Testing Solutions October 5.-7., 2021 are unable to attend live or have
division are already looking forward missed a date, you can find the
to two important dates in autumn. At the three-day Battery Experts recordings here: www.micronova.
We hope to finally meet you in person Forum at the Congress Center of the de/en/testing/videos
again at ‘f-cell Stuttgart’ and the ‘Bat- Messe Frankfurt, MicroNova will pro-
tery Experts Forum’! vide information on how to validate Further events, webinars and
battery management systems in a time presentations will be added to our
f-cell Stuttgart – and cost-effective manner. schedule on an ongoing basis. Vis-
Energizing Hydrogen Markets it our website at www.micronova.
Haus der Wirtschaft, Stuttgart Come and see our presentation de/en/testing-events.
September 14.-15, 2021 “Simplification and cost reduction in
testing Battery Management Systems”
At the two-day event, international and learn more about the “NovaCarts
hydrogen and fuel cell experts will Battery” HiL system. Testing Solutions
provide an extensive overview of relev- Newsletter
ant markets and industries as well as Presentation times:
Have you already subscribed to
technological advances in alternative » Tuesday, 5 Oct. 2021, 3:20 pm –
our newsletter? Sign up to receive
propulsion. 3:35 pm, Business Presentation
regular updates on MicroNova’s
Lounge
products, solutions, and services.
As part of the interactive format, » Thursday, 7 Oct. 2021, 2:00 pm – You can of course choose your
MicroNova will be present together 2:30 pm, Conclusion Room
main areas of interest and your
with its partner Smart Testsolutions.
preferred language (DE/EN).
The companies will present their co- Contact person and speaker:
operation in the areas of fuel cell meas- Abdülkerim Dagli
Sign up now at www.micronova.
urement technology, HiL testing & sales-testing@micronova.de
de/en/newsletter.
validation for ECUs and control elec- +49 8139 9300-0
012 // 01-21 // InNOVAtionTesting Solutions
Just asking...
Dr. Klaus Eder, COO, MicroNova AG
Cloud solutions now seem to be everywhere, but the feasibility of such ap-
plications differs depending on the area of use. What strategy is MicroNova
pursuing in this regard with its three business units and what is the “cloud
status” of its products?
The term “cloud” is actually very old, The cloud era is also just begin- Clouds are now available that can eas-
having been coined by IBM back in ning in our Telco Solutions business. ily deliver the generally required cycle
the 1950s. It would therefore be easy This has been triggered by the major time of 1 ms in a HiL system – or even
to get the impression that there is no technological upheaval associated significantly shorter times – in real
longer any innovation here and that with the transition of mobile net- time. Our “NovaCarts Virtual” product
technology has long since found its works to the new 5G technology: from range makes it possible to implement
way into all areas. There is in fact al- proprietary technology of the major various test setups with ease: from real
ready a huge range of applications manufacturers to open-source-based HiL systems in a cabinet to connected
in the consumer sector. Many people frameworks. This change has been ac- mixed reality environments as a hybrid
maintain their music and movie col- companied by a shift of the entire in- form as well as purely virtual cloud test
lections “in the cloud”, and numerous frastructure into the cloud. Of course, benches. This has led in a quantum
online services are based on cloud our products from the COM5.Mobile leap in terms of flexibility and potent-
technology. The use of cloud technol- family and the COM5.SDN Mediator, ial cost savings for our customers. Of
ogy has not yet been possible in the which is based around the new 5G ar- course, our EXAM test automation so-
high-tech domains of enterprise appli- chitecture, will also soon be available lution, with the associated Test Cloud
cations in which MicroNova operates, as cloud-based versions. Controller (TCC), also integrates seam-
or at least only to a very limited extent. lessly into this cloud infrastructure for
However, the most interesting de- testing vehicle electronics.
The MicroNova IT Management velopment for me in terms of cloud-
business unit was the first where based solutions is happening right I am therefore very pleased that we
cloud-based products played a sig- now in our Testing Solutions division. can now make almost all of our prod-
nificant role several years ago. It was Hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) systems ucts available in a cloud environment.
less the availability of solutions than have always been characterized by We are ideally equipped to deal with
users’ concerns about data protection such high real-time requirements that the technological changes currently
and security that slowed down the for a long time switching to cloud so- taking place thanks to our product de-
progress of this technology. However, lutions was not thought to be possible. velopments of recent years.
highly secure solutions hosted in Ger- We have now succeeded in breaking
man or European data centers have down this barrier with our NovaCarts
now become established, and the ini- virtual technology. We have been work-
tial reticence has been successfully ing consistently on making all our
overcome. Within our company, today HiL technology cloud-enabled for a
we see the highest growth rates in the number of years – even though there
context of cloud-based products by were no sufficiently powerful cloud so-
ManageEngine, which we distribute lutions available at the beginning. The
exclusively in Germany. situation has changed significantly.
InNOVAtion // 01-21 // 013Telco Solutions
IoT – New to the
MicroNova Portfolio
The Internet of Things (IoT) is opening up wide-ranging
new possibilities for linking physical and virtual objects,
allowing them to be used more intelligently. At the
beginning of 2021, MicroNova added an official IoT
offering to its portfolio.
TEXT: Georg Kieferl PICTURE: © jamesteohart / Shutterstock.com
Whether new services or direct ac- MicroNova knows what ect, helps to reduce costs or create
cess to valuable data, for example medium-sized companies completely new products and services
from machinery: MicroNova has been – right through to transformed busi-
need – and is paving the way
paving the way into the Internet of ness models. An example use case
Things for companies with a dedicated for them into the IoT age can be found on page 18 of this issue
offering since 2021 – namely through At MicroNova IoT components and and more examples can be found at
a comprehensive and forward-looking solutions are available from a single https://www.micronova.de/en/telco/
IoT portfolio. Using this, companies supplier, from data acquisition and iot.html.
can capture data from interconnected processing, to data communication
devices, sensors, and machines, ana- and data analysis. The MicroNova The scope of services of the new
lyze it in the cloud, evaluate it, and in- team works closely with the Spanish portfolio includes the analysis of rele-
corporate it into IoT concepts. company amplía))), which specializes vant technologies and requirements,
in connecting devices and business and the selection of devices and sen-
The technical basis for the new offer- processes through the IoT. Thanks to sors including the management of any
ing is the expertise that has long been this partnership, companies receive suppliers or partners involved. Micro-
available and implicitly used at Micro- custom solutions using the Open- Nova also provides support in archi-
Nova. Companies in various high-tech Gate© Framework developed by tecture design, system integration,
industries, including automotive, tele- amplía))). data evaluation and dashboard de-
communications, energy, and others, sign, as well as an optimized process
have for over 30 years benefited from This means they benefit from the control system. Thanks to amplía)))’s
the tried-and-tested knowledge on advantages of the IoT: Because by link- years of experience, companies re-
optimizing processes, reducing costs, ing the “Things”, data can be trans- ceive a cost-optimized foundation for
generating new business models, and formed into valuable information, long-term success – regardless of the
improving the safety of systems. which in turn, depending on the proj- maturity of their IoT project.
014 // 01-21 // InNOVAtionTelco Solutions
Change management for
increased user acceptance The Framework
New processes and technologies MicroNova partner amplía))) has can be adapted to individual needs
only realize their full productivity po- been developing the IoT platform through extensive rules. A powerful
tential when users apply them consist- OpenGate© since 2005, which has fault management system provides
ently and sustainably. One method- proven its abilities in many IoT projects for the evaluation of events, complete
ology that has proven itself in prac- at well-known companies. Open- alarm handling, and connection to ex-
tice is to maximize user acceptance Gate© is the underlying system that ternal ticketing systems.
through a change management pro- collects and processes information
cess. from all devices, which the user can OpenGate© offers a range of possi-
view, analyze, and evaluate. It allows bilities that allow companies to create
This means even active processes companies to standardize (normalize) economic added value through fit-
can easily be adapted in retrospect data and provides the results for op- ting business models or to reduce or
without jeopardizing the consistency timal evaluation via dashboards and keep costs low – for example, through
of the data and workflow instances. integrated business intelligence meth- cheaper maintenance or avoiding un-
MicroNova focuses on building proj- ods. necessary service calls:
ects in partnership with customers
– from initial discussions through to Furthermore, a high degree of auto- » Connectivity and vendor inde-
training for usage and maintenance. mation is ensured. This automation pendence: Simple integration of
devices and logs
» Data management and mass
OpenGate© eSIM/SIM Management for IoT applications processing: Measurement and
operating data on hardware,
This product, based on the OpenGate© IoT Framework, provides centralized
software and connectivity, error
SIM and eSIM management for multi-operator environments – ideal for com-
detection/prevention
panies with lots of devices in the field, such as private campus networks. It can
communicate with literally any mobile communication technology (2G, 3G, 4G,
» Intelligent data collection, pro-
NBIoT, LTE Cat-M, etc.) and supports the operation, management and monito-
cessing, and analysis: Collecting,
ring of eSIMs and SIMs.
normalizing, and processing all
relevant data to extract key infor-
Comprehensive functions for remote monitoring of all elements involved in
mation
the SIM management process are included. Using a web-based application,
users can evaluate the data based on rules and using automation. If there are
» Security and high levels of avail-
errors, custom alarms notify users immediately. This enables companies to qui-
ability: Performance of a secure
ckly set up large IoT environments with their own eSIM/SIM management and
IoT platform, designed for several
provide highly reliable and performant services.
million connected devices
Requirements
With eSIM/SIM Management, it is possible to manage eSIMs and SIMs from Summary
any communication provider. If the provider does not have its own M2M ma-
By bringing together the tried-and-
nagement portal, the prepared information can be provided via a bulk upload
tested amplía))) platform and our
tool. Alternatively, integration with other platforms is possible via their inter-
extensive industry and technology
faces. This only requires API access rights to the provider platforms with SIM
expertise, MicroNova is immediately
permissions and connectivity to the respective infrastructure elements (Radius).
able to transform data into value-add-
Thanks to an integration API, companies can also seamlessly integrate their own
ed information – forming the basis for
processes with the OpenGate© eSIM/SIM Management (e.g. ticketing systems,
new business models and additional
etc.).
revenue potential.
InNOVAtion // 01-21 // 015Telco Solutions
Ready-to-Use IoT Solutions
IoT solutions are usually customized for
maximum added value – still, they can often
be reused in comparable environments.
TEXT: Editorial staff PICTURES: © jamesteohart / Shutterstock.com; © amplía)))
016 // 01-21 // InNOVAtionTelco Solutions
The OpenGate© IoT Business Suite » Integration with IT manage- OGTrack: Asset Tracking
has been developed by MicroNova ment: User-defined reports with
& Monitoring
partner amplía))) on the basis of the precise information help to get all
OpenGate© IoT Framework and offers departments on board. OGTrack allows companies to track
dedicated industry solutions. The main valuable assets anytime, anywhere –
advantage for businesses: Building on » Real-time measurement of across wide-ranging process chains.
a specifically prepared and proven sys- results: Customized dashboards The cloud-based solution is ready to
tem, by working with MicroNova they make it possible to assess the use and is based on the OpenGate©
can create their own custom IoT solu- status of the solution, simulate IoT Framework. As such it offers a
tion – very quickly and cost-effectively it, and proactively make resilient complete toolset for optimized asset
in terms of set-up and operation. decisions. tracking and monitoring.
» Quick implementation of new IoT for SMEs – tailor-made for OGTrack covers the communication
use cases: The Business Suite and a pre-configured deployment of
every industry with MicroNova
includes all the tools required the OpenGate© platform in addition
for business data mining and the Whether new services or direct ac- to the ready-to-use devices. Compa-
analysis of IoT devices. The aim cess to valuable plant and machine nies can immediately and very easi-
is to create solutions that are data: MicroNova knows what medium- ly start using it as part of a Proof of
appropriate for the business case sized companies need and helps them Concept (PoC) or even as extensive
on the basis of existing features in enter the IoT age – with an extensive use case. Logistics and industrial firms
the shortest possible time and with and forward-looking portfolio. involved in the transport of container
minimal cost. systems, the transport and/or use of
With all components and solutions vehicles etc. can benefit from the so-
» Transform the complex abun- from a single supplier, from data ac- lution in particular.
dance of data into relevant in- quisition and processing, to data com-
formation: With the OpenGate© munication and data analysis. This For example, OGTrack makes it pos-
IoT Business Suite, companies means that medium-sized companies sible to check carriers, containers and
receive the essential features for can now also benefit from the advan- trailers:
optimized daily operations by tages of the IoT inexpensively without » Improve delivery/production
being able to access a predefined having to set up costly and ponderous planning
and proven, yet flexible toolkit. enterprise solutions. Our motto: “SME » Reduce idle times
for SME; we understand your require- » Avoid lost shipments
» Monetization: A transparent as- ments”. » Reduce costs
sessment of return on investment » More and better delivery
is made possible by companies de- MicroNova partner amplía))) has information
fining rules, reports and processes already developed various solutions –
to collect, measure and control the based on the OpenGate© IoT Frame- Components of OGTrack –
required information. work or the OpenGate© IoT Business
get started with the IoT
Suite – that are precisely tailored to
immediately
the requirements of specific in-
dustries: OGTrack and OGTrack improves the tracking and
OGSmartMetering. precise geolocation of any asset. Sta-
This article introduces tus monitoring and usage statistics
OGTrack. Information improve the performance of the ser-
» Custom business cases: Organi- about OGSmartMetering is already vices and therefore the added value
zations can structure their business available at https://www.micronova. for companies. The solution is compat-
model requirements directly in the de/telco/iot/loesungen.html. ible with almost any tracker (based on
IoT world without having to write a OpenGate©'s Connector Factory). For
single line of code. optimal deployment, amplía))) recom-
mends the use of VTrack.
InNOVAtion // 01-21 // 017Telco Solutions
Highlights Conclusion
» Web-based SaaS solution,
Companies usually have already planning and design skills as well as
achieved a high level of productivity industry know-how. Still, there is no
accessible via an intuitive user
in their existing processes. Significant need to reinvent the wheel every time.
interface
» Pinpointing and traceability
efficiency gains therefore require ef- With often only minimal changes to
» Real-time detection of
fective, innovative concepts that sup- existing solutions, companies in all in-
port new ideas and business models. dustries that want to achieve compa-
defined events (geofencing,
This is precisely what MicroNova and rable added value can start their own
unplanned stops, movement,
amplía))) make possible – through a IoT project within a short space of time
etc.)
» Monitoring of additional
powerful combination of engineering, and at low cost.
parameters (position, jolts,
inertia, temperature, etc. can
be logged)
» Simple integration into exist-
ing systems
» Full remote control of the
entire inventory (asset/device/
communication)
» KPIs & custom dashboards
and reports according to user
type
» Sorting according to defin-
able parameters
» Rule-based engine: create
custom alarms and automatic
action rules
IoT Testimonial: Optimized warehouse
and logistics chains with OGTrack
A European logistics and transport sary information about the locations the OpenGate© platform collects the
company wanted to track metal con- of containers at any given time, in a data for further analysis. Contain-
tainers used for shipping motorbikes structured manner and integrated into er locations and capacity usage can
– from the time they leave the factory existing systems. be queried in real time; their status
premises until they arrive at the deal- and movement profile including stop
ership. Despite an extremely generous The solution was a concept to track times are also available anytime and
stock of transport containers, the lack the transport containers remotely anywhere. Automatic alarms indicate
of information about their current and in real time – throughout the en- when a container has delivered its
whereabouts was leading to delivery tire shipping process. Sensors in the consignment and remains motionless
delays and ultimately to dissatisfied metal boxes constitute the hardware for more than one day. This allowed
customers. The company’s goal there- side of the solution. Using the “Secure the company to minimize expensive
fore was to minimize these costly Directed Diffusion” (SDD) protocol, periods during which containers were
disruptions and to obtain the neces- optimized for sensor communication, empty and optimize their storage.
018 // 01-21 // InNOVAtionTelco Solutions
Our Partner amplía)))
amplía)))’s mission can be summarized as helping users to optimize their pro-
cesses and digitize their business in all phases of the IoT (Internet of Things)
value chain. More than that, MicroNova’s partner sets great store by its own
employees, too. There is a strong emphasis on ideals such as transparency, di-
versity and a collaborative environment. With a highly qualified and experienced
team of 35 employees, amplía))) develops its portfolio of products and solutions
entirely in-house, focusing on effective quality assurance and robust security
mechanisms for its IoT and M2M solutions. All this is evident in its OpenGate
IoT Platform designed from the ground up as a performant and reliable layer-
based architecture. A current total of over twelve million managed entities, more
than ten million daily operations, and around eight million transactions speak for
„With MicroNova and
themselves – as well as being scored for three years in a row as one of the best
amplía))) joining forces, IoT platforms in the world by MachNation1.
we are looking forward to
great IoT projects in Ger-
many that will help our
clients thrive. MicroNova’s
result-driven approach
and amplía)))’s leading
technology both repre-
sent the expansion of new
business models and the
optimization of existing
operations.“
– Javier Martinez,
CEO,
amplía)))
www.micronova.de and the IoT
Products, solutions and references – these form the core content of MicroNova’s
new IoT website. Together with a few introductory words for newcomers to
the Internet of Things, the website offers in a concise and clear manner exactly
what the IoT solutions from amplía))) themselves stand for: getting up to speed
quickly and easily. All relevant information is included at the same time in order to
convey a more detailed understanding of the potential benefits and processes as
well as the products and technologies. And naturally we have also remembered
the most important thing of all: a contact option for your next steps on your path
to the Internet of Things.
www.micronova.de/telco/iot.html
1
https://www.machnation.com/2020/07/13/2020-iot-device-management-scorecard-rates-13-iot-platforms
InNOVAtion // 01-21 // 019Telco Solutions
Network Slicing:
a 5G key technology
Besides new business models for network operators,
5G enables services and innovations that can optimize
daily life. Network slicing provides the basis for this.
TEXT: Ingo Bauer PICTURE: © Iaremenko Sergii / Shutterstock.com
The special properties of 5G are
creating far-reaching opportunities
for innovation: Smart Industry, Smart
Farming, Smart Cities, etc. As digitali-
zation progresses and new areas are network function virtualization (NFV)
opened up for mobile communica- At the same time, these technologies (see InNOVAtion 2-2020 for details of
tions, the number of connected end are presenting challenges for network what MicroNova has to offer). In ad-
devices will quickly increase. Reliability operators and necessitating invest- dition to these two, there are other
and low latency thanks to ultra reliable ments in the new network infrastruc- key technologies for the 5G standard
low latency communication (URLLC), ture. New approaches to network de- such as carrier aggregation, massive
higher capacities through massive ma- sign and architecture are called for MIMO, beamforming, and network
chine type communication (mMTC), in order to respond to these require- slicing. The latter – network slicing –
and more security and high-speed ments flexibly and with the necessary which MicroNova is also already ad-
connections using enhanced mobile scalability. The appropriate technol- dressing in its further development of
broadband (eMBB) are all playing im- ogies are available in the form of soft- COM5 products, is discussed in more
portant roles. ware-defined networking (SDN) and detail further on.
020 // 01-21 // InNOVAtionTelco Solutions
How it works
Network slicing enables network vices. With network slicing, Vodafone able effort. While the further develop-
operators to divide their existing radio expects that “ ... in the future it should ment of LTE technology already en-
access network (RAN) into so-called be possible for customers to pre-order ables conditional scaling, for example
network slices. Such a slice is to be 5G slices required for applications in a via narrowband IoT (NB IoT), a great
seen like a virtual, independent net- self-administration portal or ‘shop sys- deal of “manual” effort is still generally
work that can be specifically adapted tem’ for a specific location and a specif- required for network management –
to the needs of the particular customer ic period of time. This means that on de- both for engineering and in operation.
and made available to them. The ba- mand network connectivity for the next
sis for a service-oriented network can industrial revolution can be ordered Network slicing enables MNOs to
be created by also defining services with just a few clicks of the mouse. map their network as independent,
and their quality. These include, for And at a lower price – a far cry from logical, isolated end-to-end segments
example, services in the field of smart the investment that companies would on a physical infrastructure. By priori-
homes or autonomous driving. As the have to make to provide a defined, tizing network traffic or flexibly allo-
roll-out of 5G technology progresses, high-quality network connection at cating the associated resources, it is
slices can even be offered on a time the required location by other means.”1 possible to offer customers different
and location basis, which saves costs. SLAs (service level agreements, i.e.
quality guarantees) and/or offer ex-
Architecture
This opens up a service- or applica- tensive customization. The basis for
tion-oriented allocation of network re- Conventional mobile technologies being able to offer such a range of
sources for mobile network operators are based on a relatively rigid radio services is the SDN/NFV architecture,
(MNOs), with a specific quality of ser- network that cannot be scaled for which is what makes the concept of a
vice (QoS) for customers and end de- different use cases without consider- highly flexible, dynamic, and scalable
5G Architecture
1
1
https://www.vodafone.de/business/featured/technologie/wie-network-slicing-in-5g-netzen-nach-bedarf-bandbreite-latenz-und-
dienstqualitaet-sicherstellt/
InNOVAtion // 01-21 // 021Telco Solutions
network slice possible in the first place Network function layer it takes care of the management of
(see InNOVAtion 2-2020). The figure The network function layer is respon- each slice over its complete life cycle.
on page 21 shows a 5G structure with sible for creating each slice in accord- Its main tasks are end-to-end service
the different layers or network do- ance with the service layer along with management and virtual resource man-
mains. instance requests. It comprises net- agement.
work functions that represent defined
behaviors and interfaces. Several such
Generic design of 5G network Slice lifecycle
functions are placed and chained to-
slicing network architecture gether through the virtual network in- An NSI is always considered end-to-
The architecture essentially consists frastructure. This results in an end-to- end in the network, which is a key fea-
of two main blocks: one for slice im- end managed network slice instance ture. An instance therefore includes all
plementation and one for slice man- (NSI) that mirrors the network proper- the necessary resources and functions,
agement (slice controller). The first ties requested by the service. Function both physical (PNF - Physical Network
block for slice implementation com- configuration is accomplished through Functions) and virtual (VNF - Virtual
prises three layers: a service layer, a operations that enable management Network Functions), from the device
network function layer, and an infra- of the entire life cycle. to the air interface (radio) and through
structure layer. the backhaul and transport networks
Infrastructure layer to the core network and management
Service layer The infrastructure layer forms the ac- systems. Dynamic resource allocation
The service layer provides the direct tual physical network topology (radio in particular can also incorporate sig-
interface to the MNOs or virtual net- access, transport and core network) on nificantly more factors (e.g., traffic
work operators (MVNOs) that share which each network slice is mapped. It forecasts) with the help of AI or machi-
the underlying physical network. It supplies the physical resources to host ne learning mechanisms (deep learn-
provides a unified view of service re- the various network functions that ing). The life cycle of an NSI is divided
quirements. Each service is formally re- make up each slice. into four phases according to the 3rd
presented as an instance. The service Generation Partnership Project (3GPP,
layer encapsulates all network proper- Network slice controller specification TS28.530):
ties in the form of SLA requirements The network slice controller, or orches-
that are expected to be fully satisfied trator, has interfaces to all layers and 1.) Preparation: This is where all key
by appropriate slice creation. functionalities. As the central element, performance indicators (KPIs) relevant
NSI Lifecycle
2
022 // 01-21 // InNOVAtionYou can also read
