Automated Channel Testing System for Process Control Systems on Offshore Platforms-Design, Implementation, and Performance Evaluation

Abstract

The Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) of Process Control Systems (PCS) on offshore platforms traditionally relies on manual channel-by-channel verification, which is time-consuming, error-prone, and heavily dependent on human factors. This paper presents an automated channel testing system that significantly improves testing efficiency and reliability. The system integrates a programmable logic controller (PLC) as the signal generation and acquisition unit, a custom-designed rapid connection interface for direct terminal block access, and a Java-based software platform utilizing OPC communication and MySQL database. The software automatically parses engineering configurations, executes test sequences, compares measured values against expected ranges, and generates comprehensive test reports. A case study on a 520-channel DCS system demonstrates that the proposed system reduces testing time from approximately 8 person-hours to less than 2 person-hours while eliminating manual recording errors. Furthermore, we extend the evaluation to three additional projects with varying scales (150-1500 channels), showing consistent efficiency gains. The system also supports flexible test point selection (e.g., 3-point or 5-point method) and provides statistical analysis of channel accuracy. This work not only automates a tedious industrial task but also lays the foundation for intelligent testing in digital oilfield environments.