Research Of Conformance Test Method For ISA100.11a Protocol——Design Of Data Link Layer Abstract Test Suite And Implementation Of Typical Test Cases

With the incessant improving and development of ISA100.11a standard, more and more manufactures begin to develop and produce ISA100.11 devices. There is the growing number of the ISA100.11a-based devices, so whether an implementation conforms to relevant protocol has become a key factor, which influences interoperability between implementation of the same protocol and ISA100.11a marketing. Thus it is very important to provide a standard and practical conformance test system as well as method for ISA100.11a protocol to check all functions and capabilities of ISA100.11a device.Data link layer (DL), which mainly ensures certainty, reliability and real-time data communications between devices, is the most complex implementation layer of the ISA100.11a standard. The implementation quality of the data link layer will directly determine the stability and reliability of ISA100.11a network. Therefore, the conformance test of data link layer is extremely important.The paper introduces the ISA100.11a standard and its standardization process, with a brief overview of the status of ISA100.11a standard research and protocol analysis among China and overseas. Based on the deep research on the protocol conformance test standard ISO/IEC9646, a conformance test system and abstraction test set of data link layer of ISA100.11a was designed, according to the reference model, topology and device types of ISA100.11a protocol, proposing the test principle of different layers, different phased, different roles. DL conformance test is aimed at three roles in DL subnet, I/O device, router and backbone router. Those capabilities of participating in DL subnet, discovering routing capable neighbors through active scan or passive scan, advertisement transmission, acting as proxy in join process, acting as clock master and clock repeater, forwarding DL message on behalf of at least one of its neighbors were tested.According to ISA100.11a protocol conformance testing system structure, DL protocol conformance test platform was proposed. The DL conformance test platform has tested the ISA100.11a data link layer protocol stack developed by our laboratory. The quality and the stability of the test system are well approved by test of its friendly user interface and handy operation. A solid foundation was laid for other tests of ISA100.11a standard.