## 3 Construction Concept and Construction of the Measuring Platform
### IT System Architecture  
The integrated platform for automatic measurement of wettability and surface tension of solders in the temperature range up to 1000 \({}^{\circ}\)C using various types of technological atmospheres is based on a distributed architecture.The IT system consists of the following components: a control subsystem, a management and visualisation subsystem, and a database subsystem (Figure 7) [4]. Each of the above-mentioned components is a solution in the hardware and software layers. The control subsystem consists of control and measurement components managed by a WAGO industrial computer equipped with communication expansion cards. The primary task of the subsystem mentioned above is to control the operation of individual components and their operation according to the set parameters of the experiment. The management and visualisation subsystem is a hardware and software configuration with middleware for data exchange between the control and database subsystems and a graphical user interface for interaction with the device operator. Both the database subsystem and the management and visualisation subsystem can be run on separate workstations if necessary. Individual subsystems communicate using a transmission channel provided by the appropriate IT infrastructure based on the TCP/IP protocol stack. In the case of distributed architectures, ensuring proper communication and data flow between individual components is crucial. The organisation of the transmission channel based on the TCP/IP standard enables the encapsulation of application layer protocols, i.e., Modbus TCP or SOAP, in the structures of computer networks. This ensures easy integration with the LAN networks of the target installation sites. The software has been divided into concurrent tasks, which differ in their expected startup period and execution priority. The division of tasks is shown in the activity diagram in Figure 8 [4]. The critical program that the PLC executes is the experiment sequence. It is responsible for the device's operation scenarios, and supervises all other programs. The program model of the sequence is shown in the scheme in Figure 9.  
Due to the dispersed nature of the IT system and the diversity of cooperating systems, it was decided to build a middleware based on Web Service technology. This solution is independent of the hardware platform and implementation, and provides specific functionalities using the SOAP and HTTP protocols. The middleware bridges the control and database subsystems and the visualization software. This forces it to be divided into implementing logic related to data manipulation in the database and a part responsible for  
Figure 7: The architecture of the research system includes the following systems: heating, gas, drive, weighing and control devices [4]. communication with the automation system. The task of the middleware for communication with the database is to enable the downloading and editing of data archived in the database system and make them available using an appropriate visualization application. The task of the middleware for communication with the control subsystem is to enable the collection of the current status of devices and readings of the controlled quantities as well as the setting of parameters according to which the automated experiment of wettability or surface tension measurement will be carried out. The visualization software offers the end user a graphical representation of the current status of individual components of the device and the course of the experiment. I addition, it allows for the viewing and analysis of previously performed experiments and the editing of database data. The assumptions made regarding the functioning of the measuring station and conducting experiments result in the stored data having a specific structure. The measurement experiment is carried out according to preset rules (template) specifying the parameters of the process, serving to control its condition by the automation system.