(a) Test facility. All testing must be performed by a qualified test facility not affiliated with the flow-computer manufacturer.

(b) Selection of flow-computer software to be tested.

(1) Each software version tested must be identical to the software version installed at FMPs for normal field operations.

(2) Each software version must have a unique identifier.

(c) Testing method. Input variables may be either:

(1) Applied directly to the hardware registers; or

(2) Applied physically to a transducer. If input variables are applied physically to a transducer, the values received by the hardware registers from the transducer must be recorded.

(d) Pass-fail criteria.

(1) For each test listed in §§3175.142 and 3175.143, the value(s) required to be calculated by the software version under test must be compared to the value(s) calculated by BLM-approved reference software, using the same digital input for both.

(2) The software under test may be used at an FMP only if the difference between all values calculated by the software version under test and the reference software is less than 50 parts per million (0.005 percent) and the results of the tests required in §§3175.142 and 3175.143 are satisfactory to the PMT. If the test results are satisfactory, the BLM will identify the software version tested as acceptable for use on its website at www.blm.gov.