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NI TestStand Idea Exchange

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Almost all of our analog measurements are specified in %: example

a Power Supply DMM measurement limit is 24.00Vdc +/- 5%

We typically have 100+ measurements like this in a project

Why not include it in the default step types as an optional selection?

I sure would use it, so would my team.

I agree that it should not alter existing programs using the default step, but I believe that this feature should have been in Teststand when it was first released.

I have run across this in both analog measurements, and the results from an ADC

Think a limit of 0x234 +3%, -7%

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It would be helpful to be able to provide a regular expression (like Labview Match Pattern) as a string value test limit. We often look for a pattern of data within a string rather than a constant.

Maybe also a regular expression function within the built in functions within TestStand expressions would be a help also. This could provide more flexibility if a user needs it. For example adding option to gain match position, and match length as well as give the option to search in reverse and ignore case.

String value - No comparison

Simplify exporting arrays of properties

Currently, to export properties which are part of an array, such as the limits of a multiple numeric limit test, you have to specify each index of the array separately, like in the first screen shot, or else you get all of the raw XML, which is difficult to interpret and use.

This is both labor intensive and unituitive. . If instead we had the option to export the array with the "?" and have it parse the information out like in picture 1, it would be much simpler to use.

Regards,

Kyle Mozdzyn

Applications Engineering

National Instruments

A nice feature of reporting is the ability to form the report file pathname using an expression. However, since the path is resolved before the client Sequence file is executed, you cannot use properties populated in the client sequence file as part of the report pathname. Currently the only way to accomplish this without modifying the model or reportOptions callback is by including the <UUTStatus> macro in the path expression, which enables a portion of the process model which copies the report to a new path based on the result of the UUT:

I propose that we add an option to force the report path to be re-evaluated after the client sequence to allow users to include properties evaluated in the client sequence file in the report file path without needing to include the <UUTStatus> macro. (basically exposing the ReportOptions.NewFileNameForEachUUTStatus property in the dialog)

The "Report Options" dialog box provides a lot of flexibilty in the way reports are generated for sequences executing under the Batch model. A new report can be generated for each UUT, for each socket, etc. One option that appears to be lacking, is to flat out not generate a Batch Report. Doing a brief search, I found at two other folks who were trying to do the same thing:

http://forums.ni.com/t5/NI-TestStand/Disable-Batch-Report-TestStand-2014/td-p/3091476

http://forums.ni.com/t5/NI-TestStand/How-do-I-disable-batch-report-in-the-batch-model/td-p/238387

Suggest adding another check box to the Report File Pathname on the Report Options dialog box to disable batch reports.

There are some macros to specify report file name by expression in report options.

Specifying Report File Paths by Expression - NI TestStand 2014 Help - National Instruments
https://www.ni.com/docs/en-US/bundle/teststand/page/specify-report-file-path-by-expression.html

$(FileDate) contains speces in the string, e.g., "2015 12 15". If you want to delete space, you need to use $(FileYear), $(FileMonth), and $(FileDate) instead.

But there is no similar expression for time, i. e., there is only $(FileTime) and we do not have any macro such as $(FileHour).

SearchAndReplace function doesn't work for the macros. It is very helpful if we have $(FileHour), $(FileMin), and $(FileSec) as standard macros.

Before:

ReportOptions 01.png

After:

ReportOptions 02.png

Axis labels for graphs in report

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Problem:

I create a model plugin and add some model callbacks to it. Then I want to access those model callbacks from my client file. I have to now add them to the process model so they show up in the list when I go to add callbacks. I get that I can add it as a blue sequence and it will work However, that is confusing to other developers if they don't know the plugin has the callback in it. It is painful to change the process model every time I create a new plugin because the process model could be used on hundreds of machines whereas my plugin may only be needed for 1 or 2 machines.

Solution:

Option 1: Show all callbacks from any plugins in the callback dialog list

Option 2: create a configurable list of model callbacks. Basically add any sequence files marked as model to the list and it will show all the callbacks from the sequence files in the list to the client, unless it cannot find the file in any search directory. Then it wouldn't show.

Option 3: From the add callback dialog allow the user to browse to a sequence file which contains model callbacks

I think adding this functionality will greatly help in making the plugins more abstracted from the process models. Just saying.

Cheers,

Looking at any step result, there's a TS.StartTime property, but it's referenced against the "the number of seconds since the application initialized the TestStand Engine"

What this means is that each step result is referenced against a somewhat arbitrary and changing epoch that isn't recognizable outside any one instance of the TestStand application, let alone by external applications.

I'd like to propose adding TS.StartTimeUnix, which contains the absolute time the step started.

I've added this in our model customization plugins, but to convert the epoch to UNIX I have to perform this calculation:

Seconds(False)-Seconds(True) + Parameters.Result->TS.StartTime

Why I'm asking for this:

In our step result database table, we've added a column for STEP_START_DATE_TIME which is absolute UTC time. To populate this I have to go through the gymnastics above. I revisited this code today and thought, "What silliness. This should be something natively supported." (Other than that I have no strong opinion on the matter)

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Build .sql File button should work

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2d array as table in report

Hello,

As we can read in this very good document, we can add information in header for UUT in Report.

It is mentionned that we can do that for StationInfo in the same way:

"The report below includes the custom data in the AdditionalData container. The process for adding custom Station data is similar, but uses the Parameters.ModelData.StationInfo property instead of Parameters.UUT."

In fact, it doesn't work in TestStand 2014 and later, certainly the same for 2013 because the default report plug-ins doesn't support it as you can see in the help of TestStand 2016.

Maybe NI can add it like it is done for UUT.AdditionalData. The goal is to avoid to put some Station Info in UUT result to show it easily in reports.

Best regards.

MaximeR

CLA - CTD

It would be nice to be able to log all requirement links during execution in the report. I think the option should be similar to "Include Attributes".

Currently, loging requirement links in steps is easy as additional result (preconfigured, just include it in step settings).

But logging requirement links in sequences or sequence files is not easily done. It requires either a dummy step which transfers the requirement list to the step requirements or an overelaborate expression in the sequence call step.

I think a drop down would be a good option:

"Log requirements list:

- For all steps

- For steps and sequences

- For steps, sequences and sequence files"

I am not sure if more options are necessary as empty requirement lists wouldn't appear in the report at all.

Norbert

The default process models internally enable/disable the PostResultListEntry callbacks in ways that aren't intuitive to users seeking to quickly edit a callback to customize/override behavior.

It would be nice to see that instead of simply turning off the callback (leaving users to wonder why their override doesn't work like all the others, except if they read the help/ or think to turn on 'on the fly reporting') as part of the process model based on the options....

(1) leave the callbacks on and move the 'on the fly' logic into an IF defined section within the sequence

(2) make a second PostResultListEntrys style callback that's explicitly for 'on the fly' that is in addition to other PostResultListEntry behaviors that a user may want to enable/add.

I've had several customers now who have designed custom event loggers / reports around the ProcessModelPostStep callback (with some rather convoluted logic where they dig for results) simply due to the fact that they couldn't understand why their PostResultListEntry callbacks didn't work.... or that they didn't feel comfortable editing the process model in order to remove the logic that force the callback to be disabled when not 'on the fly' and also keep the 'on the fly' reporting unharmed if they want it later.

Cheers,

Elaine R.

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NI TestStand Idea Exchange

PDF report generator for teststand

Add the capability to express limits in +/-% of expected value in all limits

Add Regular Expression comparison type to String Value Test

String value - No comparison

Simplify exporting arrays of properties

Add option to force the report file path expression to be evaluated after the client sequence executes

Provide mechanism to disable batch report through "Report Options" dialog box

Using time string in report file path without space character

Axis labels for graphs in report

Make TestStand support both local and UTC formats.

Create a configurable Model Callback list

For each StepResult, add StartTime with UNIX time offset

Build .sql File button should work

Review all idea Exchange and Update status

2d array as table in report

Have an Option to Include Measurements From a Multiple Numeric Limit Test as a Graph on the Report

Generate a Report of older UUT in database

Support Additional Station Info into header for standard Report generation plug-ins

Option to log all requirement links in report

Break the explicit association between PostResultListEntry callbacks and 'On the Fly' logging