WS TestTool

Until the introduction of WS OPC UA with version WS.10.01, WS Protocol was the only official communication interface of the Weihenstephan Standards. WS Protocol is a properitary protocol based on TCP/IP, which was developed by members of the WS Industry User Group.

WS Testtool supports the implementation of WS Protocol in that both a WS Client and a WS Server can be simulated depending on the requirements.

WS Testtool

The WS Testtool facilitates the implementation of the communication interface according to WS Protocol. Depending on the requirements, the tool simulates the server or the client and serves as a communication partner for the system to be tested.

Functionalities	WS Testtool Basis Edition	WS TestTool Full Edition
WS Testtool Client The WS Testtool takes over the task of a WS Client. For testing the WS on a machine.
WS Testtool SQL function The WS Testtool retrieves data from a WS Server and writes it to an SQL database.
WS Testtool Server The WS Testtool simulates a WS Server (machine).

WS Testtool Client

When developing a WS Protocol Server, you can use the WS Testtool as a client to test the server being developed. Thus, WS Testtool as a client can execute and test all twelve defined commands against the server. The answers of the server are interpreted according to the sent commands, the values of the data points are converted into the defined data types and displayed. As a user, you derive special benefit from the automatic assignment of the language-specific description of the data points as well as the meaning of their coded values. In the case of bit-coded data points, the bits present and the text you have coded are also displayed.

The test tool contains over 40 different error messages on responses to sent WS commands to support you during the implementation process. For example, it checks the machine (server) responses to write commands to read-only data points.

The data points of your machine are stored in the associated device description file WS PDA-Config, which is a table of contents of the retrievable data points, the data types and the implemented commands in XML form.

In the full version of the WS TestTool, which is only available to members of the WS Industrial User Group, the WS TestTool has an MS-SQL interface. With this function you can record data of a machine over a longer period of time.

WS Testtool SQL Function

With the WS Testtool, existing machines can be connected to an MS SQL server as a retrofit at low cost. The data of your machines are transferred to the WS Testtool via the communication interface WS Protocol and stored there in a SQL database. A predefined stored procedure is accessed on the SQL instance – the data can thus be processed individually. An example procedure for the storage of data in intervals in a relational database, which is easy on memory space, is supplied including instructions for the creation of the databases and indices. The procedure contains two different bit parameters which are set after adding a data point, after establishing a connection to a WS-Server and after starting a cyclic query to signal that new time intervals have to be created. This prevents wrong end times of the time intervals.

WS Testtool as server

The WS Testtool can also be used as a WS Server and provides, analogous to the WS Client, all currently available WS commands. Thus it is possible to develop a WS Client against this simulated WS Server. This functionality is available as part of the WS Company Package.

To simulate a machine on the WS Server, the appropriate device description file is loaded and a server is started on the port specified in the device description file. One instance of the test tool can provide several WS Servers at the same time.

A dynamic list provides all information about WS requests including time, IP address of the requesting client, the requested command and the content of the streams in hexadecimal notation.

The responses to requests are answered in a WS-compliant manner according to the values set on the server with the WS commands specified in the device description file, whereby the values can be set directly in the user interface or via write commands. The increment function can be used to increment all or selected data points cyclically.