NI TestStand 2012 Increases Automated Test Throughput, 2 in a Series

By DE Editors

National Instruments (NI; Austin, TX) has introduced the 2012 version of its software for automated test management, NI TestStand. Key new features, says NI, are a new modular framework that simplifies automated test development and new asynchronous data logging and report generation capabilities said to increase test throughput, making it ideal for parallel tests.

NI TestStand 2012’s new modular framework makes test setup easier, according to NI. Its asynchronous result processing capability makes it possible to continue testing devices while simultaneously generating reports or logging data. Users can generate multiple reports or log data to various databases through the multiple plug-ins option in the software’s new Result Processing menu.

The software’s plug-in architecture also is said to facilitate advanced customizations, such as multiple report formats, with minimal code changes. According to the company, the NI TestStand process model has been re-architected to decouple common operations such as report generation and database logging into process model plug-ins. This more modular test architecture helps users fully customize things like report generation without editing the process model, says NI. Users can also fashion custom plug-ins to handle their routine tasks.

With NI TestStand 2012, you can create what NI describes as a compact “raw results”  file for offline result processing. Users can convert this binary file of detailed data on test results for reporting or for entry into a database using the new Offline Results Processing utility. This capability is said to enable result processing to be done on a centralized machine or when tests have terminated.

NI TestStand also features a Sequence Editor that is used to create test sequences that automate the execution of code modules for devices under test. Version 2012 has been enhanced to speed up development by allowing users to drag and drop code module files to create and configure a code module automatically.

NI says that many of the new features in NI TestStand 2012 are user-requested through the NI Idea Exchange Community. Among those the company cites are NI TestStand 2012’s new array and string functions. These functions offer the ability to reorder array elements by selecting an element and simply dragging it to the desired location. Other enhancements in NI TestStand 2012 include improved integration with NI LabVIEW and .NET, dynamic dispatch support for LabVIEW classes, and the ability to view parameters for all calls in a .NET call chain simultaneously.

For more information on NI TestStand 2012, visit National Instruments.

Watch a 13-minute video detailing what’s new in NI TestStand 2012.

View short demos on some common features and functions in the NI TestStand.

Learn about best practices for test system architecture and NI TestStand code development here.

Sign up to download an evaluation copy of NI TestStand.

See why DE’s editors selected NI TestStand 2012 as their Pick of the Week.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.