Customer Background
With more than 70 years of engineering excellence, this U.S.-headquartered global leader delivers exceptionally reliable flow and valve solutions for energy, aerospace, manufacturing, and utility sectors. Their robust portfolio—including solenoid, pilot-actuated, and manual valves—is engineered to perform flawlessly even in the most demanding industrial environments.
Customer Need
Our customer aimed to develop an advanced ‘smart valve control module’ capable of interfacing with solenoid valves via fieldbus protocols, particularly CANopen. The goal was to elevate their product portfolio with an intelligent, communication-rich, and a functionally safe smart control module. Achieving this required a partner with specialized, proven expertise in safety-critical design, communication protocols, full-stack engineering, and global compliance. With over 25 years of engineering excellence across industrial automation, process automation, and the oil & gas domain, Softdel emerged as the ideal technology partner for this initiative.
Softdel’s Solution
- Softdel engineered a smart valve control module capable of interfacing with field devices over the CANopen network, delivering an end-to-end solution spanning concept design, engineering, validation, and precertification.
- Platform architecture & system design: Defined the system architecture for a SIL-2 compliant platform based on TI microcontroller technology, ensuring reliability, connectivity, and certification-ready design foundations.
- Hardware engineering
- Designed a robust hardware board integrating CAN, Ethernet, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module, UART, on board memory interface, configuration switches and LED indicators.
- Functional prototypes development and validation, which includes Schematic design, PCB layout, Gerber generation, PCB fabrication and assembly with validation testing.
- Conducted FMEA, signal integrity analysis, and pre-compliance testing (UL 61010, IEC 61508).
- Optimized form factor with an IP67-ready enclosure and selection of long-life electronic components.
- Mechanical design & enclosure development
- Performed concept and styling feasibility studies, material selection, and detailed design calculations.
- Created full 3D models and BOM; developed and validated prototypes compliant with IP67 ruggedization requirements.
- Firmware architecture & development
- Designed the complete firmware stack—from architecture to certification—for functional reliability and safety compliance.
- Developed drivers and BSP for Dual CAN, EEPROM, UART, LED indicators, and DIP switches.
- Integrated the CANopenNode stack for communication, synchronization, and node control.
- Added enhancements such as a secondary CAN interface, application-layer integration, UART-based firmware upgrades, and comprehensive diagnostics with error reporting.
- Designed and developed CPU diagnostics as per IEC 61508 for SIL 2.
- Verification, validation & pre-certification
- Executed full V&V lifecycle with complete traceability, integration testing, and edge-case simulations.
- Performed pre-certification testing aligned with global compliance standards.
- Provided certification support and delivered detailed test documentation.
- Performed static and dynamic analysis
Standards and Technology
OS: Embedded Linux
Communication Protocols: CANopen (CiA 301 and 401), UART
Tool: AltiumÂ
Testing: CANopen Conformance Test Software Tool
Benefits
- 30% accelerated time-to-market: Achieved up to 30% faster time‑to‑market and reduced engineering iteration costs by ~40%, enabling customer to accelerate product launch and capture early revenue streams.
- 35% reduction in downtime: The integration of dual CANopen communication, SIL-2 compliant design, and diagnostics capabilities resulted in significant improved system reliability and reduced downtime by up to 35% during field operations.
- Created a future-ready architecture: Modular hardware and secure firmware architecture provided a scalable and maintainable platform for the customer’s future smart valve innovations.
- Achieved global compliance: The module was engineered to meet UL, CE, and CiA standards, enabling the customer to deploy it in global markets without expensive redesigns.
