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Why restrict to load the type pallets always from <user or NI>…Components\TypePalettes folder?

It will be very helpful I can configure my path to the load my custom type pallets, this will resolve the issue handling different type Palettes for different customers / projects / sequences.

Or even better, if given the option to associate the type pallet to sequence files / sequence model. Just like Edit -> Sequence File Properties -> Model Option -> Require specific model.

Could R&D develop an option to make the standard message pop up automatically go away after a set period of time? I understand that the message pop up is typically used to receive input from the user/operator, but other times I would just like to notify the operator of pertinent information and then have it go away. It would be nice if there were a checkbox to enable this feature and then a text box where I could enter the time in seconds I would like the pop up displayed.

Regards,

Shawn S.

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Recently I had a problem with a testprogram slowing down after 3 hours of execution.

It was traced to opening a .wav file and not closing it. The .wav file was opened and played 3 time but only closed once.

The problem was discovered by using Windows 7 task manager and looking in the process information display. The number of .wav file instances increased with every run.

Vi analyzer did not find this.

It would be nice to have a tool that monitors the teststand execution and highlights suspicious behavior, like growing resources.

Instrument handles are also an area that can cause memory leaks. If an Ni-Daq is used and not closed, resource usage grows with each run.

When a step cannot be preloaded due to the prototype being out of date (if, for example, a VI was updated after it had been placed in a sequence), an error message pops up telling the user what is wrong. This can then be used to track down where the step is that is causing the issue. Some of the error descriptions get quite lengthy.

While this does provide the user with information as to where the error is occuring, the only option is to click "OK", which then closes the message. In long sequences with many subsequence calls and steps (many of which may be similarily named), it is cumbersome to find the specific step that was listed in the error message that is now no longer viewable. At times I find myself having to get to the general area where I thought the error was listed as occuring, and then click RUN again just to get the error message to pop up again, and then continue narrowing it down (repeating this process several times). This is very cumbersome.

There is a simple solution to this issue. The easiest method would be to simply include a second button in the error message that brings you directly to the step that is causing the issue (with it selected in the step window). This would solve the main issue of trying to find the step that was listed in the error message as being the problem.

To go a step further, there could be a button that simply activates the "reload step prototype" that you have to do once you are at the step that is out of date.

To go even a step further, and solve another issue I would like to see remedied, there could be the option of reloading all steps that call that module (since they are now likely all out of date and need the prototype refreshed). Currently, if a VI is called repeated throughout the sequence, then each one must be found and have its prototype reloaded manually. This is very tedious.

There may be other preloading errors besides the "prototype out of date" issue (ex: VI not found, etc.) that could use the same functionality of a button that brings you to the offending step, but this is what I am running into at the moment.

Regards,

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Have a spec that declares the name of the measurements signal?- Drag-n-Drop from the doc to the Limits>Measurement name field. no need to copy, select, enter field, paste
Know what module you want for the step? -Drag-n-Drop from Workspace or Explorer window to Module Path. I browsed there allready and can start slinging modules in
Have a list of Parameter Values in a file? -Drag-n-Drop into the value field. No need to retype and we know the data type allready- add the "" around string litterals (And why am I trying to get in between them anyhow pray-tell? TestStand can put the back-it put em there once allready
Know what parameter or operation you want in the Expression?- Drag-Drop into the expression field or the expression builder.
Duplicating Limits or selecting a comparison? Drag-n-Drop into TestStand

Drag-n-Drop

Drag-n-Drop.....Sooooooo easy

I had an entire test created in TestStand that used the String Value Test step type extensively. A labVIEW VI was called and the test step looked at a String output to determine whether the step should pass or fail. This worked well, however...

After the test creation was complete, the VI that was being called was modified to include an additional boolean output parameter that indicated a special situation where the test should fail. So, all of the test steps had to be converted from a String Value test type to a Pass/Fail test type (which evaluated an expression comparing the original strings and also whether the additional boolean output was true or false.

Since there wasn't really much difference between the two types, I expected this to be rather trivial. Instead, I had to re-create every step in the entire test (that this affected, of which there were hundreds) because there doesn't appear to be a way to change a String Value test to a Pass/Fail test.

If there was a way to simply switch to a different type of validation (such as from a String Value test to a Numeric or Pass/Fail test), then you wouldn't have to re-create the step name, VI selection (and variable setup), pre-conditions, post-conditions, post actions, additional results, comments, step settings, etc. This was quite a lot of work for what seemed to be such a simple thing!

I've been frustrated by this before as this situation occurs on regular basis (although usually only a step or two at a time), but this latest episode required almost a complete test rewrite.

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It'd be neat, in the scenario when a parallel thread is called, if there was some smooth way of gathering the results back into the main thread of the execution for the sake of the report.

I've handled this historically by passing a parameter into the subsequence/thread with the ResultList-index of the parent-step, and then doing some notification based handshaking during cleanup of both threads to quickly copy the Result container out of the sub and back to the parent via API calls. But I bet the R&D types could do this far slicker and reduce the whole thing to a checkbox... 😉

When I create reports they usually look like:

I just think it'd be a simple feature to add for users who might be uncomfortable with the API & ResultList? (Naturally if the sequence doesn't wait at the end it may never be safe to 'pass back' results. But if you're already killing time on the back stretch, why not copy the block up?

Cheers,

Elaine

NI TestStand Idea Exchange

teststand property search please

Reset perspectives Button

Option to load Type pallets from the User defined Path

Message Popup Option for Message Notification to Go Away After a Set Time Period

Tool to check for open handles or memory leaks

Preloading errors need better usability

Extensive Use of Drag and Drop

Ability to convert between Test Step Types. Ex: convert String Value Test step type to Pass/Fail Test step type.

Update LabVIEW modules displaying their panels with Windows settings, such as increasing the scrollbar

Support use of relative path for image file pathname in message popup step options.

Add step type "Comment"

Option to Append Parallel Thread Results

Forward/Back Button - navigate like a browser