TestStand 2016 Readme

August 2016


This document contains information about TestStand 2016. Refer to the TestStand 2016 Release Notes for information about getting started with TestStand, such as system requirements, licensing information, and installation instructions. If you do not activate a TestStand license, TestStand operates in Evaluation Mode.


Refer to the What's New in TestStand topics for TestStand 2016 in the TestStand Help for detailed information about new features and other changes since TestStand 2014 SP1. Refer to the What's New in TestStand topics for previous versions of TestStand in the TestStand Help for information about new features, compatibility and known issues, and bug fixes for those versions.


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 Upgrading TestStand 2014 SP1 to TestStand 2016

Use the following guidelines when you upgrade to TestStand 2016:


  • You can install TestStand 2014 SP1 and TestStand 2016 on the same computer and run applications in both versions.
  • You cannot install TestStand 2016 over a previous TestStand version.
  • You cannot install TestStand 2016 in the default installation directory for a previous version of TestStand. If you installed a previous version of TestStand in a non-default directory, you can uninstall the previous version of TestStand and install TestStand 2014 SP1 to that directory.
  • TestStand 2014 SP1 and TestStand 2016 use separate directories for the <TestStand>, <TestStand Public>, and <TestStand Application Data> directories.

Refer to the Migrating to the Current Version of TestStand section in the TestStand 2016 Release Notes for more information about upgrading to TestStand 2016.


If you are upgrading from TestStand 2010 or later, you can use the TestStand Migration Utility to migrate customizations and configuration settings from the earlier version of TestStand. You can also upgrade manually. Visit ni.com and enter the Info Code tsmigrate for more information about migrating to the current version of TestStand, including information about tasks you need to perform to upgrade manually from TestStand 4.2.1 or earlier.


 Upgrading TestStand 2016 Beta to TestStand 2016


When you compile a C# or Microsoft Visual Basic .NET binary, such as the TestStand user interfaces, the binary is strongly bound to the TestStand API interop assemblies. Binaries compiled against TestStand 2016 Beta will not work with the final release version of TestStand 2016. You must recompile the binaries using the released TestStand API interop assemblies before you can use them with the final release version of TestStand 2016.


TestStand 2016 Beta installs C# and Microsoft Visual Basic .NET user interface executables located in the <TestStand Public>\TestStand 2016\UserInterfaces directory. TestStand 2016 Beta does not uninstall the C# and VB .NET user interface files, and the final release version of TestStand 2016 does not overwrite these files. Before you install the final release version of TestStand 2016, you must first uninstall TestStand 2016 Beta and then manually delete the <TestStand Public>\TestStand 2016\UserInterfaces directory.


 Supported Operating Systems


TestStand 2016 supports the following operating systems:


  • Windows 10/8.11/7 SP12
  • Windows Embedded Standard 7 SP12
  • Windows Server 2012 R21
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 SP12

1 NI software installs VC2015 Runtime and .NET 4.6.1. Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 require Microsoft updates to support these items. Refer to Microsoft KB2919442 and KB2919355 for more information about how to install these updates.


2 NI software is signed with a SHA-256 certificate. Windows 7 SP1, Windows Embedded Standard 7 SP1, and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 require Microsoft updates to support SHA-256. Refer to Microsoft KB3033929 for more information about how to install this security update.


 Licensing


After you install TestStand, you must use the Activation Wizard to activate the software or initiate the evaluation period for the software. You must have the serial number and the name of the software kit to activate TestStand. You can find both of these items on the Certificate of Ownership card included in your software kit.


Refer to the TestStand 2016 Release Notes for more information about licensing in TestStand. Refer to the Activating Your Software topic in the TestStand Help for more information about how to activate TestStand.


 Installing TestStand 2016 Deployment Software


You can install deployments for TestStand 2014 SP1 and TestStand 2016 on the same computer. Use the TestStand Version Selector to select the active version of TestStand before you launch the deployed TestStand application. National Instruments does not support running applications that use two different versions of TestStand at the same time.


 Product Security and Critical Updates


Visit ni.com/security to view and subscribe to receive security notifications about National Instruments products. Visit ni.com/critical-updates for information about critical updates from National Instruments.


 Known Issues


You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Refer to the National Instruments website for an up-to-date list of known issues in TestStand 2016.

 Bug Fixes


Refer to the List of Bug Fixes in TestStand 2016 on the National Instruments website for a list of a subset of issues fixed in TestStand 2016. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in TestStand 2016. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed.


 Accessing the Help


Refer to the TestStand Help for information about TestStand 2016. You can access the TestStand Help in the following ways:


  • Select Help»NI TestStand Help in the sequence editor.
  • (Windows 8.1) Click the NI Launcher tile on the Start screen and select TestStand»TestStand Documentation»TestStand Help.
  • (Windows 10 or 7 SP1) Select Start»All Programs»National Instruments»TestStand» TestStand Documentation»TestStand Help.

 Finding Examples


TestStand includes a variety of example programs that you can use to help you learn key concepts or to serve as a starting point for applications you create. You can browse the examples in the following ways:


  • Select Help»Find Examples to launch the TestStand Example Programs Help from the TestStand Sequence Editor. You can launch an example directly from the corresponding help topic by clicking the Open Example button
  • Open the Examples.tsw workspace file located in the <TestStand Public>\Examples directory.
  • Open an example sequence file from the subdirectories of the <TestStand Public>\Examples directory.

 Automating the Installation of NI Products


You can automate the installation of most NI products using command-line arguments to suppress some or all of the installer user interface and dialog boxes. However, starting with the August 2012 releases (products using NI Installers version 3.1 or later), you may need to perform additional steps before or during a silent installation of NI software.


If the NI product you are installing uses Microsoft .NET 4.0, the .NET installer may run before any NI software installs and may require a reboot before the installation of NI software begins. To avoid a .NET reboot, install .NET 4.0 separately before you install NI software.


For more information about automating the installation of NI products, refer to the following KnowledgeBase articles:


 Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10


Microsoft Windows 10 is the latest version of the Windows operating system and features significant changes compared to previous versions. Windows 10 introduces several new capabilities and also combines features from both Windows 7 and Windows 8. For more information about NI support for Windows 10, visit ni.com/windows10.


 Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.1


When you install NI software on Microsoft Windows 8.1, you will notice a few additional tiles in the Apps view, including shortcuts to NI application software products such as NI LabVIEW, Measurement & Automation Explorer (NI MAX), and NI Launcher. For more information about NI support for Windows 8.1, visit ni.com/windows8.


 TestStand 2016 Drops Support for Microsoft Windows 7 RTM, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003

With this release, TestStand drops support for Microsoft Windows 7 RTM (with no service pack), Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. TestStand 2016 and later will not install or run on an unsupported OS. You cannot deploy or distribute applications that use TestStand 2016 to an unsupported OS. Additionally, after installing TestStand 2016, you cannot use any installers built on this computer with any version of LabVIEW, LabWindows™/CVI™, NI TestStand™, or Measurement Studio on an unsupported OS.


For more information about the changes to our OS support for 2016, refer to KB 79UC78LS, Why Does my LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Measurement Studio, or TestStand Built Installer Fail on Windows XP/Vista and Server 2003?.


 Additional TestStand Resources


Refer to the Technical Support page at ni.com/support and search for TestStand to access the TestStand Support website, which contains online documentation, KnowledgeBase articles, tutorials, example code, discussion forums, and other resources.


Legal Information

Copyright


© 2000–2016 National Instruments. All rights reserved.


Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of National Instruments Corporation.


National Instruments respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. NI software is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Where NI software may be used to reproduce software or other materials belonging to others, you may use NI software only to reproduce materials that you may reproduce in accordance with the terms of any applicable license or other legal restriction.


End-User License Agreements and Third-Party Legal Notices


You can find end-user license agreements (EULAs) and third-party legal notices in the following locations after installation:


  • Notices are located in the <National Instruments>\_Legal Information and <National Instruments> directories.
  • EULAs are located in the <National Instruments>\Shared\MDF\Legal\license directory.
  • Review <National Instruments>\_Legal Information.txt for information on including legal information in installers built with NI products.

U.S. Government Restricted Rights


If you are an agency, department, or other entity of the United States Government ("Government"), the use, duplication, reproduction, release, modification, disclosure or transfer of the technical data included in this manual is governed by the Restricted Rights provisions under Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.227-14 for civilian agencies and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement Section 252.227-7014 for military agencies.


IVI Foundation Copyright Notice


Content from the IVI specifications reproduced with permission from the IVI Foundation.


The IVI Foundation and its member companies make no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The IVI Foundation and its member companies shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.


Trademarks


Refer to the NI Trademarks and Logo Guidelines at ni.com/trademarks for information on National Instruments trademarks. Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.


Patents


For patents covering the National Instruments products/technology, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your media, or the National Instruments Patent Notice at ni.com/patents.


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