Searching protection relay response time extremes using genetic algorithm—software quality by optimization

In this work we study possibilities to automate the searching and measuring of response time extremes of protection relay software using genetic algorithm optimization. The idea is to produce test cases to reveal potentially problematic situations causing processing time extremes in the software of an electric network protection relay. The testing was done using a relay software in a simulator environment. In the comparison performed, the genetic algorithm-based method was clearly better than a pure random test method.