Method for testing a control program of a control device in a simulation environment on a computer

A method for monitoring errors when testing a control program of a control device in a simulation environment on a computer, the method comprising:

• generating the simulation environment on the computer,
• executing the control program with an emulator executed on the computer,
• wherein the emulator is emulating at least one part of an emulated control device having an emulated processor and an emulated memory area, and the emulator having an interface for inputting and outputting data,
• writing environmental values from the simulation environment to the emulated memory area via the interface,
• the control program having one or more program variables,
• allocating one or more variable values to the one or more program variables by the control program during execution of the control program,
• wherein the allocated variable value is determined by accessing a memory address of the emulated memory area,
• assigning an extended range of items to the one or more program variables of the control program via the emulator,
• wherein the allocated variable value is stored in the extended range of items,
• marking the one or more program variables as erroneous or non-erroneous via the emulator,
• wherein the marking is carried out on the basis of an assignment of non-erroneous program variables to a first category and of an assignment erroneous program variables to a second category, the extended range of items of each program variable in the second category having a data field, or
• the marking is carried out on the basis of an error field stored in the extended range of items, a first predetermined numerical or non-numerical validity value being allocated to the error field of a non-erroneous program variable and a first predetermined numerical or non-numerical error value being allocated to the error field of an erroneous program variable, and the extended range of items of each program variable having a data field,
• wherein the marking is carried out when determining a variable value,
• wherein, when determining a variable value of a first program variable when the emulated processor accesses a first memory address which is present and has been written to in the emulated memory area or accesses a second program variable, the second program variable being assigned to the first category or having an error field with a first validity value,
• the program variable is marked as non-erroneous, and
• the determined variable value is stored in the extended range of items,
• wherein, when determining a variable value of a first program variable when the emulated processor accesses a second memory address which is not present or has not been written to in the emulated memory area or accesses a third program variable, the third program variable being assigned to the second category or having an error field with a first error value,
• the first program variable is marked as erroneous,
• a predetermined numerical or non-numerical second error value is allocated to the variable value of the first program variable and
• the second memory address which is not present or has not been written to or a copy of all entries in the data field of the third program variable is written to the data field of the first program variable.

A method for monitoring errors when testing a control program of a control device in a simulation environment on a computer, the method comprising:

• generating the simulation environment on the computer,
• executing the control program with an emulator executed on the computer,
• wherein the emulator is emulating at least one part of an emulated control device having an emulated processor and an emulated memory area, and the emulator having an interface for inputting and outputting data,
• writing environmental values from the simulation environment to the emulated memory area via the interface,
• the control program having one or more program variables,
• allocating one or more variable values to the one or more program variables by the control program during execution of the control program,
• wherein the allocated variable value is determined by accessing a memory address of the emulated memory area,
• assigning an extended range of items to the one or more program variables of the control program via the emulator,
• wherein the allocated variable value is stored in the extended range of items,
• marking the one or more program variables as erroneous or non-erroneous via the emulator,
• wherein the marking is carried out on the basis of assigning program variables to categories,
• wherein the marking is carried out when determining a variable value,
• wherein, when determining a variable value of a first program variable when the emulated processor accesses a first memory address which is present and has been written to in the emulated memory area or accesses a second program variable, the second program variable being assigned to a first category or having an error field with a first validity value,
• the program variable is marked as non-erroneous, and
• the determined variable value is stored in the extended range of items,
• wherein, when determining a variable value of a first program variable when the emulated processor accesses a second memory address which is not present or has not been written to in the emulated memory area or accesses a third program variable, the third program variable being assigned to a second category or having an error field with a first error value,
• the first program variable is marked as erroneous,
• a predetermined numerical or non-numerical second error value is allocated to the variable value of the first program variable and
• the second memory address which is not present or has not been written to or a copy of all entries in the data field of the third program variable is written to the data field of the first program variable.

A method for monitoring errors when testing a control program of a control device in a simulation environment on a computer, the method comprising:

• generating the simulation environment on the computer,
• executing the control program with an emulator executed on the computer,
• wherein the emulator is emulating at least one part of an emulated control device having an emulated processor and an emulated memory area, and the emulator having an interface for inputting and outputting data,
• writing environmental values from the simulation environment to the emulated memory area via the interface,
• the control program having one or more program variables,
• allocating one or more variable values to the one or more program variables by the control program during execution of the control program,
• wherein the allocated variable value is determined by accessing a memory address of the emulated memory area,
• assigning an extended range of items to the one or more program variables of the control program via the emulator,
• wherein the allocated variable value is stored in the extended range of items,
• marking the one or more program variables as erroneous or non-erroneous via the emulator,
• wherein the marking is carried out on the basis of an error field stored in the extended range of items,
• wherein the marking is carried out when determining a variable value,
• wherein, when determining a variable value of a first program variable when the emulated processor accesses a first memory address which is present and has been written to in the emulated memory area or accesses a second program variable, the second program variable being assigned to a first category or having an error field with a first validity value,
• the program variable is marked as non-erroneous, and
• the determined variable value is stored in the extended range of items,
• wherein, when determining a variable value of a first program variable when the emulated processor accesses a second memory address which is not present or has not been written to in the emulated memory area or accesses a third program variable, the third program variable being assigned to a second category or having an error field with a first error value,
• the first program variable is marked as erroneous,
• a predetermined numerical or non-numerical second error value is allocated to the variable value of the first program variable and
• the second memory address which is not present or has not been written to or a copy of all entries in the data field of the third program variable is written to the data field of the first program variable.