teststand and LabWindows/CVI

[mrbean]

I'm fairly new to LabWindows & TestStand. I inherited a CVI (6.0) prj file that contained txmain.c and txengine.h (from the now obsolete test executive). I've been tasked to bring the CVI upto 7.1 and use TestStand(TS) instead of Test Executive(TE). I converted the .squ file (from TE) to a TS .seq. I have a chicken-egg question. Can I work (solely) in the CVI project file and add TS engine and operator interface files. Can I work soley in TS and somehow point to my CVI prj file. I've been trying the CVI prj approach. However, the literature says I must add tscvirun_supp.c to my prj, but that doesn't get me the user interface I need. When I add TestExec.c/.h/.uir, the Build::Create Release Executable says I have a duplicate definition of main. I'm extremely confused. Any advise would be most helpful.

[Adam B.]

Mr. Bean,

It sounds as if you are trying to put your Operator Interface code and your test code into a single project. This is not really the way you want to go about it and its not recommended. Basically, you will want one project with all of your TestCode and set up your sequence to call from that project (which it sounds like already is from the conversion to a .seq file). The OI will be a completely different project and should be created using the UI API provided by TestStand. To use one of the OIs built by NI using CVI, you can go to C:\Program Files\National Instruments\TestStand 3.1\OperatorInterfaces\NI\Full-Featured\CVI or C:\Program Files\National Instruments\TestStand 3.1\OperatorInterfaces\NI\Simple\CVI. If you have these 2 projects and then call your sequence from the OI, you should see the correct behavior. Hopefully this gets you on your way, but if you have any additional questions, please let us know and we will get them answered for you as soon as possible. Thanks and have a great day.

Adam B.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments
www.ni.com/support

[mrbean]

I see the TestExec.prj in the C:\Program Files\National Instruments\TestStand 3.1\OperatorInterfaces\NI\Full-Featured\CVI folder. Do I now add the two projects to a workspace file and create a Deployment in TestStand? Is the non-OI sequence associated in any way with the OI (i.e. within any configuration file) or is the connection at runtime, when the user says File::Open::xxxx.seq?

[Adam B.]

Mr. Bean,

If you are going to use the default Operator Interface then you can deploy with your project in one of two ways. You could the OI project to the workspace as you mentioned (this is the only way for a modified OI), but you can also use the installer options to include it with the install. There is an option within the "Engine Options..." that allows you include the NI Operator Interfaces into the deployment.

All connections between the OI and the code modules are made through sequence files. You open up the sequence file in the OI and the sequence is what will make calls to your non-OI CVI project. Once the sequence is loaded into memory, it will show up on successive loadings of the OI.

Let me know what other questions you may have. Thanks and have a good one.

Adam B.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

[mrbean]

I'm getting further, but still have a couple of problems. In my workspace, I added the original project and the TestExec.prj. When I deployed, and opened the sequence in the operator interface, it complained that it couldn't find one of my application files. The file is in the one of the projects. Do I have to do something special so that it see's all the files in the project.

[mrbean]

I'm not clear what you mean when you say ...

"All connections between the OI and the code modules are made through sequence files. You open up the sequence file in the OI and the sequence is what will make calls to your non-OI CVI project. Once the sequence is loaded into memory, it will show up on successive loadings of the OI."

Is there something I specifically have to add to my OI sequence file, or are you talking about when I run the OI and tell it to open the app sequence

Also, it seems that no matter what changes I make to the deployment file, the installer directory has the same setup.exe file (dated 6/8/2002). Some of the supporting files seem to get updated (i.e. setup.ini, distrib.cab, DKTemplateEN.msi). Is this correct, or should I see an updated setup.exe every time.

My UUT is called the LMBSU. My TestStand workspace lists the following files - does this seem at all close to what I should have in there.
lmbsu.exe, lmbsu_setup.obj, lmbsu_setup.uir, lmbsu.seq, testexec.exe, testexec.uir

Finally, my target PC is in a secure lab (currently with no internet connection). When I go to install there, how will I resolve the activation issue?

[Odd_Modem]

"All connections between the OI and the code modules are made through sequence files. You open up the sequence file in the OI and the sequence is what will make calls to your non-OI CVI project. Once the sequence is loaded into memory, it will show up on successive loadings of the OI.
"


I would like to understand more why this statement was made. It seems to me that I can do just about anything I want in the user interface (I am using LabVIEW, is there a difference? a constraint?) and as long as I manage connection to the process model that is running my module adapters, I can maintain a stable state. Perhaps it's the vanilla OI one's talking about and not that which has been modified?