How do I pass custom data from client sequence to model plugin

[J.C._Andersen]

Hi.

I am in the process of updating a TestStand system from TestStand 4.2.1 to TestStand 2012. From the old systems we have some custom process models, a batch and a sequential model. In the TestStand 2012 system we want to put as many of the customizations  as possible in to Model Plugins.

Now I have run in to a problem, which I hope some of you in here can help me solve.

In order for you to fully understand my problem, I need to explain a bit about the structure of the system. When the system starts it runs what we call en Equipment Control sequence. This sequence uses the modified sequential model and its function is to initialize the tester hardware and then wait for a signal to start a test. The signal is in most cases a barcode being scanned. From the barcode the equipment is able to obtain the name of one or more test sequences which it them starts. The test sequences use the modified batch model which only have the “Single Pass” execution entry point. After the test sequences has ended they log there result data to a custom formatted text file. The reason there can be more than one test sequence to run for the same product is that the equipment can handle more than one kind of test process for each product. This also means that when we do the logging of data we need to log the ProcessID a header information with the data.

In the TestStand  4.2.1 system we pass this information of ProcessID with the call to the “Single Pass” entry point for the modified batch model, when we start a test sequence from the Equipment Control sequence. In this way it is available when we get to the sub sequence which handles the logging of data. In the 2012 system we want to place the logging in a custom result processing plugin, and this is where we meet the problem:

How do I pass the ProcessID information from the calling Equipment Control sequence and in to the model plugin of the batch model running the test sequence? It seems that plugin is so decupled from the model that parameters that are not predefined in the interface can only be passed by using StationGlobals or some LabVIEW FG. I hope this is not true, and that I just missed something in the new structure.

[James_Grey]

You could attach information as an attribute to the UUT, or if you need it for all plug-in entry points, to the ModelPluginConfiguration parameter.

[James_Grey]

You might also want to look at the DynamicClientFileExampleModelPluginAddon.seq example.

It might be possible to move some or all of your model modifications into an addon so that you can use all the stock models.