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Jean-Louis

Sequence adapter available for substeps

Status: New

When creating custom step types, it is highly recommended to use Post-Step for calling execution module instead of Default Module.

Thus, when instanciating a custom step type, parameters passing is not saved within the sequence but only in the step type definition.

This allows to change parameters passing without having to update all the step types instances.

 

In some big test benches, it is intersesting to have low-level step types and high step types based on low level step types.

High level step types execution modules are sequences using low level step types.

 

Since sequence adapter is not available for Post-Step, we are obliged to call the sequence through Default Module.

Thus it can generate problems when adding parameters in sequence call.

 

I suggess to allow Sequence Call in SubStep creation :

 

SequenceAdapterInPostStep.png

 

Jean-Louis Schricke, MESULOG

TestStand Architect

Jean-Louis SCHRICKE
CTA - Certified TestStand Architect (2008 - 2022)
CTD - Certified TestStand Developer (2004 & 2007)
CLD - Certified LabVIEW Developer (2003 & 2005)

7 Comments
D.S
Member
Member

Is there any progress from NI regarding this suggestion?

 

dug9000
NI Employee (retired)

One thing that can be done in the meantime to get behavior similar to what you are asking for is to use a code module of a different type (e.g. dll, vi, etc.) with code that does the following:

 

1) Call Execution.NewThread() to call the subsequence you wish to call. Pass ThisContext for the sequenceContextParam.

2) Since the sequence is running in a new thread you need to wait for it. Call Thread.WaitForEnd on the thread you created and pass ThisContext for the callingSequenceContext parameter. NOTE, you probably do NOT want to set the stepToStoreResultsIn parameter if the user might also be specifying their own sequence call with your step type because I think only one set of results can get stored on the step. If you are not allowing the user to specify a code module then maybe it would make sense to specify that parameter as long as you only have one subsequence substep.

 

Keep in mind I haven't tried to implement the above, but I'm pretty sure it should work.

 

-Doug

Jean-Louis
Member

Doug,

 

I am sorry to inform you that you didn't understand the need.

The need is to allow creation of Custom Step Types which module is a sequence call, within a PostStep instead of Default Module.

 

Until now, calling a sequence is possible only with Default Module which implies evolutivity issues when changing sequence parameters (since each instance of the CST stores calling method within the sequence).

 

Jean-Louis Schricke

Jean-Louis SCHRICKE
CTA - Certified TestStand Architect (2008 - 2022)
CTD - Certified TestStand Developer (2004 & 2007)
CLD - Certified LabVIEW Developer (2003 & 2005)

dug9000
NI Employee (retired)

Jean-Louis,

 

I think you misunderstood my suggestion. I was explaining how you could use a PostStep of a different module type to effectively make a sequence call programmatically so that you wouldn't have to wait for such a feature to be implemented. Basically, you can use one of the other adapters and a code module that knows how to programmatically call sequences to get a similar behavior to what you are asking for.

Jean-Louis
Member

Ok Doug, understood.

 

It is a good suggestion.

 

But I think that the best solution should be that NI allow sequence call within PostStep...

 

Thanks,

 

Jean-Louis

Jean-Louis SCHRICKE
CTA - Certified TestStand Architect (2008 - 2022)
CTD - Certified TestStand Developer (2004 & 2007)
CLD - Certified LabVIEW Developer (2003 & 2005)

milan.despotovic
Member

This will be really useful since we always have some sequences with often used functions (high level) which can/should be implemented as custom step types.

 

It looks very logical to have sequence adapter available for custom step types, since we are already in TS.

semaj2020
Member

Is there any plan to implement this feature? It has plenty of Kudos and is a real limitation to custom step types.