How can I handle deploying multiple test systems on the same PC that have been developed using different versions of LabVIEW, TestStand, and/or Switch Executive?

[plf]

The major issue here is that the test systems must be documented and validated before being released to the production floor. Given this if a test station has multiple test systems deployed on it that have been developed on various versions of LV, TS, and Switch exec how can I force the test system selected to use the correct versions of TS, LV, and Switch exec.? I understand that the solution would be to recomplie everything and bring them up to the latest version but that would then require re-validation according to the QA department. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

It would be nice if theTS deployment was more like an LV executable... meaning when a LV executable is launched it always knows what LV runtime engine to use when there are multiple engines installed on a PC.

[RayFarmer]

Hi,

Multiply versions of teststand can reside on the same system, but only one version can run at a time. They is a utility that has to be run to set the active version.

The SequenceFiles have a version number, and you will find an error will be generate if you try to Load the sequencefile in the wrong version of TestStand.

The labview VIs will only work providing the correct version of the RTE is also installed on your system, even a labview executabe requires the correct RTE to be installed, either as part of the executable installation or as a seperate installation, before the labview exe will work correctly.

I'm not fimilar with the Switch exec but I would expect that it will also require the correct lower level device drivers to be available for the version you are using.

Therefore, as you are indicating that some of your system are at  a older version, its difficult to image how you could achive this, considering if you say you have different versions of the software(s). For a start, you may have the problem that newer code/ sequencefiles using additional functionatily not available in the older versions.

I would think your only solution would  be to have different deployments covering the different versions you have, or at least bring all your test systems up to the same version of teststand.

Regards

Ray Farmer

[Adam B.]

plf,

Ray is correct.  You can only have one version of TestStand active at any one time.  You can however have multiple versions installed and switch between them using the Version Selector utility that can be found at C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Shared\TestStand Version Selector.  In addition, you can call this version selector from TestStand.  I wrote a quick batch file that can change the version and load up the appropriate Sequence Editor (you can modify to call an OI if necessary).  I could not attach it, but the lines are:

"C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Shared\TestStand Version Selector\TSVerSelect" /version 3.1
"C:\Program Files\National Instruments\TestStand 3.1\Bin\SeqEdit.exe"

As fas as which version of LabVIEW, here's my idea for that.  You can have a different set of configuration directories for each setup of LabVIEW RunTime engine.  You could then create a LabVIEW executable that takes command line arguments for the configuration directory and pass it to Engine.SetConfigDirectory.  You could then call this executable from the batch file above to set the cfg directory before you open the Sequence Editor. 

Hope this gives you a little more direction.  Let me know if you have any additional questions.  Thanks and have a good one.

[plf]

Thanks for the info! I'll both of these suggestions a try and see how it works out.