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What’s New in NI TestStandUpdates in 2012 and 2013
Johan HillergrenMarketing Engineer, National Instruments
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Agenda• Increased test throughput• Simplified and more flexible process models• Simplified deployment management• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET, LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development • Increased available system memory and overall stability• Sneak peak at future versions
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Agenda• Increased test throughput• Simplified and more flexible process models• Simplified deployment management• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET, LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development • Increased available system memory and overall stability• Sneak peak at future versions
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Increased Test ThroughputAsynchronous result processing:• Increase test throughput by logging data or generating
reports asynchronously to test execution• Leverages multi-core processor architectures
2012
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Increased Test ThroughputOptimized and configurable result processing
• Generate multiple reports• Log to multiple databases• Configure independently
o For example: One report synchronously and another asynchronously• Create efficient and compact binary “raw results” file for offline
processingo Uses same results processors as inline results processing
2012
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Increased Test ThroughputBenchmarks show improved test throughput over 2010:• Asynchronous result processing• Drastically improved performance for built-in reporting and
data logging result processors
Test Machine:Xeon Quadcore E5630 @ 2.53 GHz
2012
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Agenda• Increased test throughput• Simplified and more flexible process models• Simplified deployment management• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET, LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development • Increased available system memory and overall stability• Sneak peak at future versions
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Simplified and More Flexible Process Model
vs.
TestStand 2012
TestStand 2010
2012
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Legacy Models (TestStand 2010 and previous)
Report Generator (HTML)
ReportGen_HTML.seq
Database Logger (Access)
Database.seq
Process Model
Components that must be modified to customize results processing
2012
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New Models (TestStand 2012)
Results Processing Code
MyResultsProc.seq
Plug-in Instance
Custom Plug-in
Results Processing Code
Database.seq
Plug-in Instance
Database Logger (SQL Server)
Results Processing Code
ReportGen_HTML.seq
Plug-in Instance
Report Generator (HTML)
Process Model
…
…
Components that must be modified to customize results processing
Results Processing Code
ReportGen_ATML.seq
Plug-in Instance
Report Generator (ATML)
ModelSupport.seq
2012
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Simplified and More Flexible Process ModelProvided example custom plug-ins• Simple Text Report• Basic Step Time Report
2012
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Agenda• Increased test throughput• Simplified and more flexible process models• Simplified deployment management• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET, LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development • Increased available system memory and overall stability• Sneak peak at future versions
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Managing Deployed Test System SoftwareUser Code Application Software Drivers
• LabVIEW, TestStand, CVI, etc
• Associated Run-time engines for above SW
• NI-DAQmx, NI-SCOPE, NI-VISA, etc
• Associated Run-time engines for above drivers
• User built VIs, EXEs, DLLs, assemblies, etc
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The Problem• Eventually, deployed systems will need an upgrade
• New product models• Optimized test code• New test hardware
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TestStand Deployment Utility• Builds a single installer with:
• Sequence files• Configuration files• Source code/DLLs/EXEs• NI HW drivers and NI SW RTEs
• Automatically includes static dependencies
• Can run 3rd party installers using custom commands
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New in TestStand 2013: Patchable Deployments• Automatically includes only new or changed files
• Only 6 MB of patch overhead
• Provides patching for both user applications and NI software
• Allows for multiple cumulative patches on a single deployment
2013
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Agenda• Increased test throughput• Simplified and more flexible process models• Simplified deployment management• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET, LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development • Increased available system memory and overall stability• Sneak peak at future versions
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Improved Integration With LabVIEWDynamic-dispatch support for LabVIEW classes enables Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) test architecture
2012
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Improved Integration with LabVIEW• LabVIEW Adapter Property Node support
• Single TestStand step can directly get or set multiple properties
• Operate on all I/O references, Classes, and DVRs with Classes
2013
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Improved Integration With LabWindows/CVI• Support for CVI 2012 and later DLLs bound to specific CVI Run-Time Engine version
• Critical applications that require revalidation
2012
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Improved Integration With .NET.NET Invocation control simultaneously displays parameters for all calls in a .NET call chain
TestStand 2010TestStand 2012
2012
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Improved Integration with .NET and Visual Studio• New Visual Studio 2012 and .NET Framework 4.5 support for .NET and C/C++ adapters
• .NET Framework 4.5 New Features• Portable class libraries• Parallel computing improvements• Reduce system restarts during
deployment• Visual Studio 2012 New Features
• Workflow improvementso Asynchronous solution loadingo Improved window and
tab managemento IDE-wide search
• Major UI Update
2013
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Agenda• Increased test throughput• Simplified and more flexible process models• Simplified deployment management• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET, LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development • Increased available system memory and overall stability• Sneak peak at future versions
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Enhanced Sequence EditorDrag and drop code module files to create steps
2012
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Enhanced Sequence Editor• Visually re-arrange array elements• 9 new array and string manipulation functions
• Max, Min, Sort, Contains, FindIndex, SetElements, FindOffset, IndexToOffset, and OffsetToIndex
2012
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Enhanced Sequence EditorPassword protect custom types to control type changes
2012
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Enhanced Sequence Editor• Preload progress dialog box
• Counts total number of sequences, steps, and code modules
• Displays progress bar• Customizable dialog launch delay
• NEED IMAGE
2012
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Enhanced Sequence EditorATML, XML and HTML reports now support hyperlinks
2012
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Enhanced Sequence EditorTestStand 2012 Migration Utility
• Migrate from 2010 or 2010 SP1
2012
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Enhanced Sequence Editor• Usability features requested on TestStand Idea Exchange
• Multiple arguments in a single Case statement
• Add flow control steps around selected steps
• Sequence Editor tab closing shortcuts
2013
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Agenda• Increased test throughput• Simplified and more flexible process models• Simplified deployment management• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET, LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development • Increased available system memory and overall stability• Sneak peak at future versions
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Increased Available System Memory• Large Address Aware support
• EXE flag that gives TestStand access to
o 3 GB RAM on a 32-bit OS o 4 GB RAM on a 64-bit OS
• Increased stability for memory intensive applications
• Load more sequences, test code, arrays, reports, etc. without running out of memory
• Enabled by default in TestStand 2013 UIs and Sequence Editor
• TestStand 2010 and later user interfaces also support this flag
2013
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Continued Focus on System Stability• Reduce number of minor defects/deficiencies
• Focused effort to significantly reduce minor usability issues
• Expanded test cases and benchmarkso Real-world user applications
2013
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New dynamic UUT Subproperty• The UUT container now contains the AdditionalData unstructured container
• Add custom properties without modifying the underlying data type
• Easily include custom properties in reports and databases
2013
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Agenda• Increased test throughput• Simplified and more flexible process models• Simplified deployment management• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET, LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development • Increased available system memory and overall stability• Sneak peak at future versions
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Sneak Peek! NI TestStand 2014
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NI TestStand 2014• Release target: NI Week 2014
• Full 64-bit Native Supporto Take advantage of more than 4GB of system memoryo Separate installers for 32- or 64-bit
• Completely Redesigned Database Viewer and Database Options Dialog
• Share .NET Objects Between TestStand and LabVIEW
• Improved Logs for Debugging Deployment Builds• Better LabVIEW Integration with New Cluster
Mapping Tool• Continued Commitment to Performance and
Stability
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64-Bit TestStand• Benefits
• Use more than 4GB RAM on 64-bit OS• Applications with most potential for improved performance
o Big data (image processing, large waveforms)o Projects with extensive numbers of sequences/code moduleso Large reports
• 64-bit TestStand functionally independent from 32-bit TestStand
• Install to different directories and do not share most components
• Future features will be added to both 64-bit and 32-bit• Continued commitment to 32-bit TestStand• Both will ship on one DVD
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Redesigned Database Viewer
• Dockable tabs, hierarchical Explorer pane, and data grid allow concurrent viewing of more information
• New Execute SQL pane • Auto-execute queries at an interval to see OTF results as they are added • Sort, filter, customize, export, and print data in results view
• Generate SQL Queries from various editing dialog boxes
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Improved Database Options
• Five tabs unified to two• Apply button to save changes without closing• Schemas tree view
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2015 and Beyond…• Moving to 2 year release cycle - No TestStand 2015
• Recent feedback from customers indicates yearly feature releases are too frequent
• Allows R&D to deliver larger, more impactful features• Longer Beta cycle should improve quality and allow for more
meaningful customer feedback
• TestStand 2014 SP1 scheduled to release at NI Week 2015
• Will install on top of 2014 to simplify upgrades
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Evaluate NI TestStand for Free Today
…or visit ni.com/teststand
• ni.com/ideas• ni.com/teststand/whatsnew
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