What is the primary purpose of the EPD Protocol Pilot?

• A. To validate interoperability, reliability, and safety of EPD communications in a controlled pilot environment.
• B. To deploy the protocol directly into production networks.
• C. To test only the hardware performance of EPD devices.
• D. To publish general theoretical concepts about EPD without testing.

Answer: (A)

The main aim of a protocol pilot is to validate end-to-end interoperability, reliability, and safety of the communications in a controlled, real-world-like environment. In the EPD Protocol Pilot, this means testing how different EPD devices and systems communicate with each other, how reliably they behave under realistic conditions, and whether safety requirements are met before any broader rollout. This controlled testing helps uncover integration issues, performance concerns, and safety risks early, so vendors can address them and the protocol can be refined. It is not about deploying straight into production networks, nor is it focused only on hardware performance or on publishing theory without practical testing.