adding or editing a step in Test Stand

[cinsight]

From LabVIEW 7.1, how can I edit or add a step into a Test Stand sequence?

[Ray.R]

Hi cinsight,

I'm not sure if I understand your question properly...

Do you want to:

1)  edit a TestStand sequence from within LabView?  (ie: LV becomes a TestStand Editor)

2)  modify the execution of a TestStand sequence? (ie: skip a step, modify a value, etc as part of a configuration prior to running the sequence)

3)  edit a TestStand sequence which calls LV vi's?  (ie:  using TS as the upper level sequence manager calling a bunch of LV-vi's)

4)  writing a TestStand sequence using LV-vi as a sequence editor (not sure why someone would do this one 😉  )

5)  something else...

Also, which version of TestStand are you referring to?  We have CVI code that modifies older TS sequences (or rather test executive) in order to select which sub-sequences are run, which ones are skipped, what parameters to use etc...  so anything is possible...

JLV

😄

[cinsight]

Running Test Stand 3.1 ui, an operator would make selections of tests to be done on a product and the equipment he has avaialble.  The LabVIEW 7.1 vi (or Test Stand if I knew how) would take those inputs and dynamically create the Test Stand steps of a sequence necessary to test that product and then tun that new sequence.

I presently program in LabVIEW, my employeer wants to have the test routines written in a open architecture language (Test Stand) that non-programing engineers can modify (running a debug version of Test Stand).

Respectfully,

Robert (cinsight)

[Ray.R]

Hi Robert,

I am considering a simple method to implement a solution... Let's start with the basics...

The TestStand sequence should be fully created.  Meaning that you would have all possible scenarios (sequence steps) created within a single sequence (could becom long quickly), or a main sequence calling a number of sub-sequences.

Part of the "Set Up" sequence, which is something that is run a single time at the beginning of the sequence execution, you could have a call to a LV vi which obtains the information from an operator which would then pass parameters to sequence steps or sub-sequences.  Or you could create a LV User Interface which would obtain the info... or maybe even a custom TestStand Operator interface...  there are several options..

However, let's consider the LV-vi approach for the moment..

The LV vi could obtain information from the operator to select what test to run.  This info can be used as part of the test sequence steps as a pre-condition to either execute or skip the step (right click the desired test step in the TestStand Editor, select Properties at the bottom and click on Preconditions and select "Insert New Expression").  The step will be executed if the precondition expression is true.  I think you can select Negate to run if false... 

You can also have  vi to search for available test equipment and instruments and create a boolean or a value which could select the desired sub-sequence(s) to be executed based on equipment setup or availability.  There are several ways to implement this in TestStand.

I would stay away from creating Teststand steps dynamically.  However, do a search in the TestStand Forum on Dynamically running TestStand Steps... I remember a posting on this subject about a year ago...  I will post the link if I find it.

Will the non-programming engineers need to modify the steps or will they basically select (as an operator) which tests to run?  Can you describe what / how they would use it? 

Regards,

JLV

[Ray.R]

Have a look at this link...

It may not be what you are looking for, but it may shed a light of Dynamically creating / modifying (copying in this case) TestStand steps:

http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=330&message.id=5920&query.id=0#M5920

JLV

[cinsight]

Joel,

After the steps are created, the non-programming engineers could modify the steps (running a debug version of Test Stand) to what-if senarios or test variation senarios.  The would save their versions of the sequences with different names for their use later.

[Ray.R]

Hi Robert,

So specific variations of the main sequence could be created for the various test scenarios.  This would be independent of any LV-vi or user interface, right?

You could still create a step that reads an ini file with the parameters you wish to use.  The ini file could be parsed by just about anything, including a LV-vi which would set the TestStand parameters.  This way, you could use the original test sequence that would self configure based on the information that appears within the ini file.  In other words, the engineer would populate the ini file according to his/her needs, it could be TRUE/FALSE Flags or step name or any method you'd want to design.  When running the TestStand sequence, the file would be read and parsed in order to populate the pre-conditions parameters.  That way, only the desired tests would be executed based on a simple ini file which can be modified outside the TestStand editor.  One sequence, many options..  🙂  There would be no need to modify the actual test sequence.  This approach could also be used to configure the tests by operators.. 

As you can see, there is a lot of flexibility on how to implement solutions.  (That's the fun part).

JLV

😄

Message Edited by JoeLabView on 01-27-2006 04:08 PM

[sumit04]

Hi Ray.R,

Can you help me with the 1st question from your post?

I am trying the same. I want to edit the sequence using LabView VI. By editing I mean I want to change the step name, Run Mode (Normal/Skip). And I want to perform this with multiple sequences (say 100 sequences).

Thank you in advance!