What is NI TestStand?
PrintOverview
NI TestStand is a ready-to-run test management environment designed to accelerate the development of your test and validation systems. NI TestStand is used to develop, manage and execute test sequences. These sequences integrate test modules written in any test programming language. Sequences also specify execution flow, reporting, database logging and connectivity to other enterprise systems.
Table of Contents
Figure 1. NI TestStand Sequence Development Environment and Operator Interface
The NI TestStand architecture provides the necessary tools to fully customize your execution environment, reporting, database logging, and operator interfaces. At the heart of NI TestStand is a high-speed, multithreaded execution engine which controls and manages test system development and execution.
NI TestStand Architecture
The central components of the NI TestStand architecture is an execution engine which exports an open API to facilitate communication with other applications. The Sequence Editor and the Operator Interfaces use the API to access the NI TestStand Engine. In addition, there are three important file types that are used to define the characteristics of the development, run-time and execution environments.
Figure 2. NI TestStand Architecture
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What NI TestStand Does
NI TestStand provides management features and a workspace for all of your test software. At a more functional level, it integrates and sequences your test code allowing for looping and complex decision making. NI TestStand separates common test executive tasks, such as reporting, from test specific tasks, such as performing a measurement.
NI TestStand provides a common unified environment and interface for all the different applications of automated testing. NI TestStand also integrates with enterprise systems, such as database management and requirements management systems.
Figure 3. NI TestStand High-Level Features
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Where Would I Use NI TestStand?
NI TestStand is designed to automate a sequence of steps. These steps can be individual tests, measurements, actions, or commands. Any application needing automation of executable pieces of code can benefit from the use of NI TestStand. NI TestStand was designed to address four key areas: to simplify and accelerate complex sequence development; to increase code and test system reusability and maintenance; and to improve test system execution performance. This has led to its adoption in consumer electronics for validation and manufacturing test, military and aerospace applications, the medical industry as well as IC characterization and simple code sequencing.
Figure 4. Where NI TestStand Fits into the Development and Manufacturing Cycle
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Why Test Management Software
New concerns are forcing test engineers to take a strategic approach to test system development. A strategic approach starts with thinking about an architecture that solves challenges of maintainability, code reuse, and upgradeability. A modular software architecture consisting of hardware drivers, a hardware abstraction layer, test modules, and test management software is critical in meeting these challenges.
Figure 5. Four-Layer Architecture for Test Systems
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Conclusion
NI TestStand offers a flexible and powerful framework for developing, managing, and executing test systems. The components of NI TestStand are designed to work together and to integrate the features of enterprise systems and software seamlessly.
As test management software, NI TestStand provides for easy integration of independent test modules into a testing framework. With this easy integration, the developer can focus on developing tests instead of the test framework needed to build the test system.
NI TestStand is an integral part of any test where accelerated development, code reusability, improved performance, and automation is desired. NI TestStand offers a ready-to-run, yet fully customizable environment for developing and managing test systems.
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