Overview
ISO 20242-1:2005 is Part 1 (Overview) of the ISO 20242 family - an international standard that defines a service interface for testing applications in industrial automation. It explains the architecture and goals of ISO 20242 for Computer-Aided Testing (CAT) and Computer-Aided Quality (CAQ) environments, focusing on platform- and supplier-independence when integrating measurement and automation devices into test systems.
Key goals highlighted:
- Platform independence (operating system independence)
- Interface independence (device connection/network neutrality)
- Vendor independence (device supplier neutrality)
- Support for device driver certification and long-term device compatibility
Key Topics
ISO 20242-1 describes the core components and concepts used across the ISO 20242 series:
- Platform Adapter (PA) and Resource Management Service Interface (RMSI): encapsulate OS resources and peripheral interfaces so device drivers do not depend on a particular operating system or hardware.
- Device Driver and Virtual Device Service Interface (VDSI): present device capabilities as virtual devices to application programs; the driver handles communication with physical devices.
- Device Capability Description (DCD) and Device Capability Profile Template (DCPT): ASCII text files that describe virtual device structure, functions and behavior for consistent device representation.
- Application Program Service Interface (APSI): interface through which test applications access device drivers via a coordinator.
- Coordinator: manages access, synchronization, real-time aspects and events between application programs and device drivers.
- Communication objects, modules, interfaces and virtual device behavior are defined to standardize interaction patterns.
Applications and Who Uses It
ISO 20242-1 is practical for:
- Test system integrators and CAT/CAQ engineers building automated test stations
- Software developers creating device drivers and testing applications
- Device and measurement equipment manufacturers seeking standardized driver behavior and certification
- QA and standards teams in automotive and manufacturing sectors needing vendor- and platform-neutral device integration
- Vendors of platform adapters, fieldbus cards, and plug-in communication extensions
Typical uses:
- Integrating heterogeneous automation and measurement devices into a unified test application
- Abstracting physical devices into virtual devices for simplified test logic
- Enabling device-driver certification and repeatable conformance testing across platforms
Related Standards
ISO 20242 is a multi-part standard. Other parts (planned or specified in the series) cover:
- Resource management service interface (RMSI) details
- Virtual device service interface (VDSI) specifics
- Device capability profile template (DCPT)
- Application program service interface (APSI) specifications
- Conformance test methods, criteria and reports
Keywords: ISO 20242-1, industrial automation standard, service interface for testing applications, platform adapter, device driver, virtual device, device capability description, Computer-Aided Testing (CAT), device independence.