Let’s begin in 2003 when TBA started to develop a first emulation model for a container terminal. At that time at the ECT Delta terminal in Rotterdam, a replacement of the TOS and Equipment Control System (ECS) was being planned.
In order to obtain preliminary performance results simulation models both for the TOS and for the ECS were created. However, the scope and accuracy of the simulation models led us to use them as testing tools as well. As both the TOS and ECS development ran in parallel, both development teams were in need of realistic test tools, and hence we used the decoupled simulation models of TOS and ECS in ‘emulation mode’ as each other’s test tools. This comprehensive way of testing did not exclude the traditional testing of the real TOS and ECS, instead it accelerated the whole testing process and saved time and money.
This experience triggered us to create a generic emulation product in which we saw a lot of value being offered to the maritime industry where software is mission critical. Since then, our emulation product CONTROLS has come a long way. More than 50 terminals, over 90 projects, and many implementations of mission critical software – covering 8 different TOS systems so far – have made use of CONTROLS in some form.
Dr Yvo Saanen will be speaking at a key terminal training and automation conference in London in June, 2016. Read more about Dr Saanen and the upcoming conference here
