Research & Design
The software challenges Machine Builders face are numerous, but not insurmountable. Here are some of the solutions Simple Automation can offer to Machine Builders
Robust Software Version Management
We use Git-based version control, which is what most of the modern software engineering world has been using for decades.
It is proven and offers incredible flexibility for managing machine software versions.
Faster Time-to-Market
Machine builders usually have the benefit of being able to build on technology they have already developed when releasing new machines. Why not leverage reusability on the software side as well? By developing libraries, your machines can all reference a common code base. New machines can drag in previously developed code.
Gone are the days of copying-and-pasting code. And the best part? As the libraries are improved and debugged over time, every platform that references the libraries will be updated simultaneously!
Easier Software Updates & Upgrades
Software maintenance actually begins during the software design and architecture phase - maintainability is designed.
Using OOP design principles, we make sure that software we develop is designed with maintainability in mind. This allows for easier updating and upgrading in the future.
Software bug elimination that sticks
TDD is a powerful technique from Software Engineering that develops test suites for production code before the production code is written. This way we determine how to implement the production code and a way to test its functionality. Simple Automation libraries are developed this in this manner.
The best part is that after deploying the production code, these test suites still exist and are built upon. As new bugs arise, we develop new tests to replicate the bug, then add those tests to our suite. As we introduce new software updates and upgrades, we can ensure that future fixes don’t jeopardize established performance.
