Build, test, validate and then deploy

October 21, 2024

In my previous blogs covering the initial phases of building telemetry systems I have talked about the importance of setting and agreeing clear requirements and the importance of a site visit.  In this blog I would like to talk about building and testing. This is the phase where we make the requirements happen. It is also the phase which we try as much as possible to do in the office.

The more we can build in a controlled environment the less risk there is. The office is a stable environment; we have workspaces dedicated to building systems. We have all the tools we need readily available, and we have multiple pairs of hands to help where needed. The more we can do here the easier our site work becomes. The minute we go to site we lose some of the stability. We will plan for all the eventualities, but we cannot get away from the fact that wiring sensors or components when it is raining or windy adds complexity and risk.

Test, test and test again is critical to any build. I have always worked on the principle that if you do not test something, then we should not expect it to work. Testing is therefore a key area to anything we build. We will ensure that everything is tested both functionally, and as part of the wider system.

Functional testing is against the direct requirement of the system – will it take the measurement I need to the standard I need and at the right time and frequency. The system testing covers everything around that direct requirement – are the cables secure, are the batteries tested, is data being loaded to the correct location on the server, is the data accessible etc.

Testing is a critical phase of any project and as such we treat it like that. We will run each completed system for a minimum of 24 hours prior to deployment. That allows us to test all of the key areas and get good confidence that our build tasks have been executed as planned. All testing has a second pair of eyes to double check everything and we document all stages and elements of the signoff. When the signoff of our build and testing has been successful we are ready for field deployment – and we have the confidence that we have a system ready to meet and deliver against all of the requirements we set.

David van Walt – October 2024.