Aspects of testing when introducing 5G technologies into industrial automation

This paper deals with test aspects for the introduction of 5G technologies into industrial communication. In this context, test types, test objectives and test objects need to be re-evaluated. For the information and communication industry it is new to consider specific fields of application. For the automation industry, the type of network technology is fundamentally changing. Therefore, the role of validation, demonstration, conformance tests and tests to prove the fulfilment of application requirements for both industries will be reconsidered. Furthermore, essential test objects are described with their possible test interfaces. The example of the test for proving the fulfilment of application requirements of communication links shows how closely the views of the information and communication industry and the automation industry are interconnected. On the basis of an assignment of test types to test objects, recommendations are made on how the topic of testing industrial 5G technologies can be further developed in a systematic way.