LabVIEW vs TestStand

[VikashKumar23]

Hi,

Our company is planning to buy a automated test equipment to to functional test of our PCB. 

We approached several suppliers and we requested them to develop the software in labVIEW. 

Then I realise there is test stand which is similar to LabVIEW.

can I please know what is the best software that needs to be used on the automated test equipment ? 

we are paying a huge price for the test equipment so we would like to get the best out of it. 

I know a little bit of the LabVIEW since I have done the core 1 and core 2 module . I haven't used test stand. 

I am worried if we get the source code in test stand then I cant fix the software when it breaks as I have knowledge only on LabVIEW. 

But if test stand is the best suited for automated test equipment then I am happy to go with it. 

[billko]

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@VikashKumar23 wrote:

Hi,

Our company is planning to buy a automated test equipment to to functional test of our PCB. 

We approached several suppliers and we requested them to develop the software in labVIEW. 

Then I realise there is test stand which is similar to LabVIEW.

can I please know what is the best software that needs to be used on the automated test equipment ? 

we are paying a huge price for the test equipment so we would like to get the best out of it. 

I know a little bit of the LabVIEW since I have done the core 1 and core 2 module . I haven't used test stand. 

I am worried if we get the source code in test stand then I cant fix the software when it breaks as I have knowledge only on LabVIEW. 

But if test stand is the best suited for automated test equipment then I am happy to go with it. 

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They aren't even remotely similar.  LabVIEW and TestStand work extremely well together, though.  TestStand is the framework you would drape your LabVIEW code on.

[Gregory]

Hi Vikash,

If you contact an NI sales rep I'm sure they can give you a lot more information than I can, but the short answer is TestStand does not fulfill the same purpose as LabVIEW. LabVIEW is a development environment where you write an application. TestStand is called a test executive, meaning it handles many, if not all, important aspects of a test, including:

• Running test step
• Pass/Fail criteria
• Logging data to database
• Creating report

The idea with TestStand is that you create re-usable pieces of code in LabVIEW, C, and maybe other languages, and then execute them in the order you want. If you have a large production line with similar products, but need slightly different tests run on them, TestStand can handle it beautifully (in conjunction with your language of choice). If you are making some quick lab tests to acquire data from hardware, then TestStand probably does not help you.

Could you write a test executor using LabVIEW or another language instead of buying TestStand? Absolutely, but it will cost you a lot of time, when you could you could be worrying about coding the test, instead of the test logic.

There is definitely a learning curve to TestStand though (that's why NI offers classes for it), so I would definitely talk to a sales engineer to see if it is worth the time investment for you.

[crossrulz]

As has already been said, LabVIEW and TestStand are no where close to similar.

What I do with my test systems is I have developed a bunch of drivers and other libraries that will be used as individual steps in a test sequence.  I then use TestStand to create said sequences.  TestStand development is a lot simpler for most people than LabVIEW, especially since TestStand handles a lot of things such as data logging, error handing, and a lot of debugging tools (pause, run step again, watch variables, etc).

So I recommend getting TestStand and LabVIEW.  But if you want to use C#, C++, .NET, CVI, or some other language, TestStand can call those just as easily.

[Kyle97330]

My personal experience is that TestStand is better if you're doing a lot of very simple tests with limited branching.  If you're going to be testing a PCB and your main tests are going to be just testing resistance/capacitance/voltage/etc at certain points on the board, it's almost certainly a better choice.

Where it starts to fall apart is if you need to do complex operations involving intricate decision trees or user interface windows or parallel processes.  Don't get me wrong, you can do all of those things, it's just not as easy or straightforward as doing it all in LabVIEW is.

[JÞB]

I'm going to go off on the graphics...

TestStand is a Test Executive. It is really nice if your "Test" meets NI's Definition of "Test"  That is a >99% probability.  LabVIEW is one way to  sequence those tests.

What do you want to do?

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