Mynah Technologies has released MiMiC v3 Simulation Software, its third-generation package for automation system software testing and operator training. The shrink-wrapped simulation software package is built with system acceptance testing and operator training simulation in mind. MiMiC v3 offers a non-intrusive method for conducting software acceptance testing (SAT) and for testing new control strategies, recipes and products, combined with realistic process responses for operator training and an effective method for testing MES integration and electronic batch records maintenance.
New MiMiC v3 features include .Net graphical user interfaces, XML data exchange, a generic OPC client driver, a Modbus TCP/IP driver, IED function block simulation objects, simulation generation utilities, a customizable user interface and high-fidelity modeling functions.
MiMiC v3 simulates process control operations for testing new control strategies, recipes and products, for operator training and for testing MES integration and electronic batch records maintenance in chemical, refining, life-sciences and other process control industries.
“MiMiC v3 increases ROI on process automation projects by enabling concurrent system acceptance and system commissioning to shorten project completion schedules,” says Martin Berutti, director of business development at Mynah Technologies. “Comprehensive SAT also means quicker startups, reduced control-system validation time and better product quality,” he continues. “Its comprehensive operator training module makes for less unscheduled downtime and more effective process operating.”
“Reducing startup times can save companies anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 per day. Cutting the number of off-spec products can save $50,000 to $1 million per run. Cutting unscheduled downtime can save between $5,000 and $50,000 and hour, and reducing unknown failures and incidents can save between $50,000 and $1 million per incident,” Berutti adds. “Using MiMiC v 3 can contribute to every one of these savings.”
Non-Intrusive Simulation
Upgrades and enhancements to a process automation system after the initial capital project can have a great effect on increasing the return on investment, but many process facilities hesitate to make such changes because they lack the ability to test or validate upgrades before they are installed. MiMiC v3’s non-intrusive simulation interfaces allow the user to test the control system configuration without making any modifications to the configuration database. MiMiC v 3 provides a virtual I/O interface to the process controller application code that supports I/O and process simulation and modeling. It allows the application software to run in a normal mode without any modification during design, so the testing application software is identical to the production application software. The simulation interface supports complete application software testing and provides a benchmark of process controller performance, including CPU and memory loading, order execution and timing.
MiMiC v3 offers drivers for simulating DeltaV controllers, Rockwell, HIMA Soft and Schneider PLCs, and Triconex Tristation. It is also the only process simulation software that supports full non-intrusive simulation of Foundation Fieldbus, ProfibusDP, DeviceNet, As-I Bus and HART smart field devices.
Trained Professionals
MiMiC’s Operator Training Management Module provides a comprehensive toolset for developing structured operator training systems. It works with the non-intrusive simulation software so operators can train on the system without affecting the integrity of the process or the system configuration. Scenario Objects allow the trainer to introduce process events and malfunctions into the simulation process, and Session Reports log the Scenario events, operator actions and process events for regulatory agency documentation.
MiMiC v3 is the perfect solution for life-sciences companies following GAMP4 guidelines. It can be used for offline system acceptance testing and validation during installation qualification (IQ) and operational qualification (OQ), thereby compressing the project schedule and enabling users of validated systems to meet production and project goals more quickly, resulting in early time to market.
ARC Advisory Group Senior Analyst Tom Fiske says, “The real value of MiMiC is that it can be used for control system testing, logic verification and operator training on automation systems that use digital buses without affecting the process or the integrity of the control system configuration, thereby saving time and money.”
