ni.com

Updates in 2012 and 2013
Marketing Engineer, National Instruments ni.com

Agenda
• Increased test throughput
• Simplified and more flexible process models
• Simplified deployment management
• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET,
LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio
• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development
• Increased available system memory and overall stability
• Sneak peak at future versions ni.com
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Agenda
• Increased test throughput
• Simplified and more flexible process models
• Simplified deployment management
• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET,
LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio
• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development
• Increased available system memory and overall stability
• Sneak peak at future versions ni.com
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Increased Test Throughput
Asynchronous result processing:
• Increase test throughput by logging data or generating reports asynchronously to test execution
• Leverages multi-core processor architectures ni.com
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Increased Test Throughput
Optimized and configurable result processing
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Generate multiple reports
Log to multiple databases
Configure independently o For example: One report synchronously and another asynchronously
Create efficient and compact binary “raw results” file for offline processing o Uses same results processors as inline results processing ni.com
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Increased Test Throughput
Benchmarks show improved test throughput over 2010:
• Asynchronous result processing
• Drastically improved performance for built-in reporting and data logging result processors
Test Machine:
Xeon Quadcore
E5630 @ 2.53 GHz ni.com
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Agenda
• Increased test throughput
• Simplified and more flexible process models
• Simplified deployment management
• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET,
LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio
• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development
• Increased available system memory and overall stability
• Sneak peak at future versions ni.com
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Simplified and More Flexible Process Model vs.
TestStand 2012 ni.com
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TestStand 2010

Legacy Models (TestStand 2010 and previous)
Process Model ni.com
Report Generator (HTML)
ReportGen_HTML.seq
Database Logger (Access)
Database.seq
Components that must be modified to customize results processing
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New Models (TestStand 2012)
Process Model
ModelSupport.seq
ni.com
Plug-in Instance
Report Generator
(HTML)
Plug-in Instance
Report Generator
(ATML)
Plug-in Instance
Database Logger
(SQL Server)
Plug-in Instance
Custom Plug-in
Results Processing Code
ReportGen_HTML.seq
Results Processing Code
ReportGen_ATML.seq
Results Processing Code
Results Processing Code
MyResultsProc.seq
Database.seq
Components that must be modified to customize results processing
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Simplified and More Flexible Process Model
Provided example custom plug-ins
• Simple Text Report
• Basic Step Time Report ni.com
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Agenda
• Increased test throughput
• Simplified and more flexible process models
• Simplified deployment management
• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET,
LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio
• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development
• Increased available system memory and overall stability
• Sneak peak at future versions ni.com
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Managing Deployed Test System Software
User Code Application Software Drivers
• User built VIs,
EXEs, DLLs, assemblies, etc ni.com
• LabVIEW,
TestStand, CVI, etc
• Associated Runtime engines for above SW
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• NI-DAQmx, NI-
SCOPE, NI-
VISA, etc
• Associated Runtime engines for above drivers

The Problem
• Eventually, deployed systems will need an upgrade
• New product models
• Optimized test code
• New test hardware ni.com
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TestStand Deployment Utility
• Builds a single installer with:
• Sequence files
• Configuration files
• Source code/DLLs/EXEs
• NI HW drivers and NI SW RTEs
• Automatically includes static dependencies
• Can run 3 rd party installers using custom commands ni.com
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New in TestStand 2013: Patchable Deployments
• Automatically includes only new or changed files
• Only 6 MB of patch overhead
• Provides patching for both user applications and NI software
• Allows for multiple cumulative patches on a single deployment ni.com
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Agenda
• Increased test throughput
• Simplified and more flexible process models
• Simplified deployment management
• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET,
LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio
• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development
• Increased available system memory and overall stability
• Sneak peak at future versions ni.com
19

Improved Integration With LabVIEW
Dynamic-dispatch support for LabVIEW classes enables
Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) test architecture ni.com
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Improved Integration with LabVIEW
• LabVIEW Adapter Property
Node support
• Single TestStand step can directly get or set multiple properties
• Operate on all I/O references,
Classes, and DVRs with
Classes ni.com
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Improved Integration With LabWindows/CVI
• Support for CVI 2012 and later DLLs bound to specific
CVI Run-Time Engine version
• Critical applications that require revalidation ni.com
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Improved Integration With .NET
.NET Invocation control simultaneously displays parameters for all calls in a .NET call chain ni.com
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Improved Integration with .NET and Visual Studio
• New Visual Studio 2012 and .NET
Framework 4.5 support for .NET and
C/C++ adapters
• .NET Framework 4.5 New Features
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• Portable class libraries
Parallel computing improvements
Reduce system restarts during deployment
• Visual Studio 2012 New Features
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• Workflow improvements o Asynchronous solution loading o Improved window and tab management o IDE-wide search
Major UI Update ni.com
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Agenda
• Increased test throughput
• Simplified and more flexible process models
• Simplified deployment management
• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET,
LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio
• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development
• Increased available system memory and overall stability
• Sneak peak at future versions ni.com
25

Enhanced Sequence Editor
Drag and drop code module files to create steps ni.com
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Enhanced Sequence Editor
• Visually re-arrange array elements
• 9 new array and string manipulation functions
• Max, Min, Sort, Contains, FindIndex, SetElements, FindOffset,
IndexToOffset, and OffsetToIndex ni.com
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Enhanced Sequence Editor
Password protect custom types to control type changes ni.com
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Enhanced Sequence Editor
• Preload progress dialog box
• Counts total number of sequences, steps, and code modules
• Displays progress bar
• Customizable dialog launch delay
• NEED IMAGE ni.com
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Enhanced Sequence Editor
ATML, XML and HTML reports now support hyperlinks ni.com
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Enhanced Sequence Editor
TestStand 2012 Migration Utility
• Migrate from 2010 or 2010 SP1 ni.com
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Enhanced Sequence Editor
• Usability features requested on
TestStand Idea Exchange
• Multiple arguments in a single
Case statement
• Add flow control steps around selected steps
• Sequence Editor tab closing shortcuts ni.com
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Agenda
• Increased test throughput
• Simplified and more flexible process models
• Simplified deployment management
• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET,
LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio
• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development
• Increased available system memory and overall stability
• Sneak peak at future versions ni.com
33

Increased Available System Memory
• Large Address Aware support
• EXE flag that gives TestStand access to o 3 GB RAM on a 32-bit OS o 4 GB RAM on a 64-bit OS
• Increased stability for memory intensive applications
• Load more sequences, test code, arrays, reports, etc. without running out of memory
• Enabled by default in TestStand
2013 UIs and Sequence Editor
• TestStand 2010 and later user interfaces also support this flag ni.com
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Continued Focus on System Stability
• Reduce number of minor defects/deficiencies
• Focused effort to significantly reduce minor usability issues
• Expanded test cases and benchmarks o Real-world user applications ni.com
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New dynamic UUT Subproperty
• The UUT container now contains the AdditionalData unstructured container
• Add custom properties without modifying the underlying data type
• Easily include custom properties in reports and databases ni.com
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Agenda
• Increased test throughput
• Simplified and more flexible process models
• Simplified deployment management
• Improved integration with LabVIEW, .NET,
LabWindows/CVI and Microsoft Visual Studio
• Enhanced sequence editor to speed up development
• Increased available system memory and overall stability
• Sneak peak at future versions ni.com
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Sneak Peek! NI TestStand 2014 ni.com
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NI TestStand 2014
• Release target: NI Week 2014
• Full 64-bit Native Support o Take advantage of more than 4GB of system memory o Separate installers for 32- or 64-bit
• Completely Redesigned Database Viewer and Database
Options Dialog
• Share .NET Objects Between TestStand and LabVIEW
• Improved Logs for Debugging Deployment Builds
• Better LabVIEW Integration with New Cluster Mapping Tool
• Continued Commitment to Performance and Stability ni.com
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64-Bit TestStand
• Benefits
•
• Use more than 4GB RAM on 64-bit OS
Applications with most potential for improved performance o Big data (image processing, large waveforms) o Projects with extensive numbers of sequences/code modules o Large reports
• 64-bit TestStand functionally independent from 32-bit
TestStand
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• Install to different directories and do not share most components
Future features will be added to both 64-bit and 32-bit
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• Continued commitment to 32-bit TestStand
Both will ship on one DVD ni.com
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Redesigned Database Viewer
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Dockable tabs, hierarchical Explorer pane, and data grid allow concurrent viewing of more information
New Execute SQL pane
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Auto-execute queries at an interval to see OTF results as they are added
Sort, filter, customize, export, and print data in results view
Generate SQL Queries from various editing dialog boxes ni.com
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Improved Database Options
• Five tabs unified to two
• Apply button to save changes without closing
• Schemas tree view ni.com
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2015 and Beyond…
• Moving to 2 year release cycle - No TestStand 2015
• Recent feedback from customers indicates yearly feature releases are too frequent
• Allows R&D to deliver larger, more impactful features
• Longer Beta cycle should improve quality and allow for more meaningful customer feedback
• TestStand 2014 SP1 scheduled to release at NI Week 2015
• Will install on top of 2014 to simplify upgrades ni.com
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Evaluate NI TestStand for Free Today
• ni.com/ideas
• ni.com/teststand/whatsnew ni.com
…or visit ni.com/teststand 44

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