The Off-the-Shelf, Customizable Test Executive

1
TestStand

• The Off-the-Shelf, Customizable Test Executive

2
Agenda

• Test Software Challenges
• TestStand Overview
• TestStand Demo
• System Options/Pricing

3
Test Software Challenges

• Build versus Buy?
• Time to Market
• Protection from Obsolescence
• Maintenance and Support

4
Test Executive Development
Build?
Buy?

• Special requirements
• Enterprise data systems (database and SPC)
• Proprietary or legacy hardware

• Lower development costs
• More stable product
• Maintenance support
• Economy of scale

Neither a custom solution or a completely off-the
shelf solution is ideal!
5
Time to Market

• Constantly decreasing TTM
• No time to test!
• Must develop tests rapidly and test more
  efficiently
• Must leverage Code Reuse and Test Modularization
• Wait a minutewhat about quality?
• Must increase test coverage
• Test plans cannot be rigid..must allow
  Flexibility for specialized products

6
Test Executive Development Costs
Custom operator interface Execution
engine Interface to test languages Result
evaluation User management Reports (ASCII,
HTML) Database integration Offline SPC
analysis Serial number scanning Sequence
loading Test limit loading Revision
control Development environment
Development Effort
7
Decrease Test Development Time/ Increase Code
Reuse

• TestStand is built around modular, customizable
  components
• Allow optimum code reuse
• Support special features of individual products
• Code generation/debugging tools increase
  productivity,reduce test development time
• TestStand integrates with all major development
  environments
• Supports existing legacy code
• Flexible connectivity to other systems

8
Software Obsolescence

• PC market constantly changing
• Hardware, Operating systems, new software
  technology
• National Instruments protects you from SW
  Obsolescence
• LW DOS -gt CVI for Win 3.1 -gt CVI for Win 95/98/NT
• LabVIEW for MacPlus -gt LV for Win 3.1 -gt LV for
  Win95/98/NT
• TestExec for LV or CVI -gt TestStand
• Customized components of TestStand supported in
  future versions

9
Lower Long Term Maintenance Costs

• A test executive is expensive to build, but even
  MORE expensive to MAINTAIN
• All software requires maintenance to support new
  technologies and fix known problems
• Since 1990, many production lines have gone
  through as many as FOUR operating systems
• DOS -gt Windows 3.1 -gt Win95 -gt WinNT -gt ???
• Latest OS necessary for driver support, network
  connectivity, latest development tools

10
Lower Support/Training Costs

• Even an internal TE requires support and training
• Using SW developers for support and training is
  EXPENSIVE
• NI SW provides
• Large installed user base (User forums, expert
  integrators)
• Documentation
• FREE technical support
• Available training courses and training material

11
Test System Components
Config. Management
SQL
Test Executive
Test Executive TestStand
Report Generation
Sequence Editor
Test Development Tools LabVIEW LabWindows/CVI
Instrument Drivers IVI NI-DAQ
TM Instruments GPIB DAQ Computer-based
Instruments
12
NI TestStand Features

• High-speed parallel sequence execution engine
  (multithreaded)
• Advanced sequencing, looping, branching
• Call tests written in all the most popular test
  languages
• LabVIEW, CVI, Visual Basic, any C DLL
• Automatic report generation (ASCII, HTML,
  database)
• Modular and Customizable

13
A Powerful Test Executive Engine

• Focused on execution speed, flexibility, and
  long-term support/compatibility

TestStand Engine

• Multithreaded Sequencing
• Branching
• Looping
• Limit Checking
• Data allocation
• Multi-level User Access (login)

14
Compatibility with Many Test Languages

• Adapters allow
• Execution of multiple test programs
• Integrated debugging of test programs
• Generation of test program templates
• Adapter modularity promotes support of legacy or
  future test code platforms

15
Customize Your Own Operator Interface
Sequence Editor
Operator Interface
16
Demo Basic OperationBuilding sequencesRunning
sequencesDebuggingInterfacing to LV
CVIGenerating reports
17
Advanced RequirementsDiversity Testing

• Dynamic Sequencing
• Executing specific subsequence based on condition
• Dynamic Limit/Parameter Loading
• Limit Loader - Load limits/parameters from ASCII
  text, Excel
• Property loader - Load any step properties from
  ODBC database

18
Advanced RequirementsDiversity Testing
TestStand Sequence File
Scan serial number
Dig Test
RF Test
Generate Report
19
Advanced RequirementsDatabase Connectivity

• TestStand integrates with your corporate/product
  databases

• Corporate Databases
• Test plan parameters
• Test results
• Statistical data

TestStand Shop Floor Execution System
20
Advanced RequirementsMultithreaded Execution
21
Advanced RequirementsDistributed Execution
TestStand Sequence
UUT
Generate Rpt
22
Demo 3 (Advanced Topics) Multithreaded
execution Loading LimitsDatabase Integration
23
Configurable ExecutionOperator Interface

• The TestStand Operator Interface is a completely
  separate application for production line
  deployment
• GUI is customizable - can be created in the
  development environment you are most comfortable
  in
• Examples shipped in LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI,
  Visual Basic

24
Configurable ExecutionProcess Models
Initialize
Identify UUT
ExecutionEngine
Load Limits
Call User Seq
Generate Report
Update Database
Shutdown
Process Model
25
Configurable DevelopmentStep Types
Results
Properties
Algorithms
26
TestStand System Options

• Full Development System - 2995 US
• Sequence Editor, Engine, and Operator Interfaces
• LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI SPC toolkits
• Run-Time Options
• Deployment Debug Environment - 1500 US
• Full TestStand sequence debugging/tracing/single-s
  tepping capabilities
• Includes license to install LabVIEW and CVI for
  debugging purposes only
• Base Deployment Engine - 500 US
• Engine for running TestStand sequences only

27
Bundled Systems

• Developers Suite, Test Edition - 5995 US
• Development Environments
• LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, ComponentWorks
• LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI add-on tools for
  application management, internet and database
  connectivity, and SPC tools
• Test Tools
• TestStand Development System
• IVI Instrument Driver tools
• Data Visualization Tools
• HiQ