How To Programmatically Set the Number of Test Sockets for a Specific Sequence File

Description

The Parallel and Batch process models in TestStand are used for executing a test sequence multiple times in parallel to test more than one Unit Under Test (UUT) concurrently. The number of UUTs tested in parallel is determined by setting the number of test sockets for the Parallel or Batch process model.

You can manually set the number of test sockets using the Model Options dialog box. Select Configure»Model Options to view the Model Options dialog box. However, modifying this setting affects all sequences executed with that process model. This example shows you how to programmatically change the number of test sockets for a specific sequence file. To do this, use the ModelOptions callback as described below.

Instructions

1. Insert the ModelOptions callback into your test sequence file. With the Sequence File window active, select Edit»Sequence File Callbacks.
2. In the Sequence File Callback dialog box (shown in Figure 1), select ModelOptions and click the Add button.
3. Click the Edit Button. This will open the ModelOptions callback that was added to your sequence file in the previous step.
   
   
   
   Figure 1. Sequence File Callbacks Dialog Box
   
   
4. Verify that you are in the ModelOptions sequence by selecting ModelOptions from the View ring control.
5. Insert a Statement Step (as shown in Figure 2).
   
   
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   Figure 2. Model Options View and Inserted Statement Step
   
   
6. Right-click the Statement step and select Edit Expression from the context menu. The Edit Statement Step dialog box will appear.
7. Enter the expression Parameters.ModelOptions.NumTestSockets = 3 to programmatically set the number of test sockets to three. Figure 3 shows the completed Edit Statement Step dialog box.
   
   
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   Figure 3. Edit Statement Step Dialog Box

For every sequence file that you want to programmatically specify a different number of test sockets for, repeat the steps above.

Common Applications

This solution is useful when you have a single computer controlling multiple sequences that use the same parallel process model (Batch or Parallel), and each sequence file requires a different number of test sockets.

For example, you may have one production line (Line 1) testing four UUTs and another production line (Line 2) testing ten UUTs. Even if Line 1 and Line 2 have different test sequence files, they typically use the same Parallel process model. In this situation, you need to set the sequence file running on Line 1 to use four test sockets and the sequence file running on Line 2 to use ten test sockets. 

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