NI TestStand Advanced Architecture Series

The documents in the series are available for free on this page. The documents are also compiled in a physical book that you can purchase on line under the title of NI TestStand Advanced Architecture Series.

1. Best Practices for Code Module Development
2. Best Practices for Custom Step Type Development
3. Using the NI TestStand Object Model
4. Best Practices for NI TestStand Report Generation and Customization
5. Best Practices for NI TestStand Process Model Development and Customization
6. NI TestStand Validation and Verification Best Practices
7. Best Practices for Improving NI TestStand System Performance
8. Best Practices for NI TestStand User Interface Development
9. NI TestStand Shared Drive Deployment Reference Architecture
10. NI TestStand Type Management Best Practices
11. Other NI TestStand Resources

Best Practices for Code Module Development

High quality, well-designed code modules increase the reusability and maintainability of test software components. This document provides a series of recommendations on how to create well-architected code modules that yield modular applications, balancing application development environment tasks with what NI TestStand natively provides.

• Ray Farmer - Specialist Consultant, Nomad Technical Services Ltd.

Read the Best Practices for Code Module Development document.

Best Practices for Custom Step Type Development

NI TestStand's step type architecture allows developers to create innovative and unique custom step types that meet the needs of your particular environment.  This document explains custom step type development and provides a set of best practices to help you get started making better custom step types faster.

• Joe Spinozzi - Director of Operations, Cyth Systems

Read the Best Practices for Custom Step Type Development document.

Using the NI TestStand Object Model

The TestStand object model is an object oriented interface to all TestStand capabilities.  This document introduces the use of the NI TestStand object model, which contributes to the power and flexibility of TestStand.

• Daniel Elizalde - Product Development Manager, VI Technnology
• Albert DeWeese - Staff Systems Engineer, VI Technnology

Read the Using the NI TestStand Object Model document.

Best Practices for NI TestStand Report Generation and Customization

Every automated test system must collect and report test results.  Almost as common as the need to report results is the need to customize how these results are generated.   This document includes different methods for customizing reporting in NI TestStand by explaining the default reporting in TestStand, results collection, and report generation.

• Norbert Brand - Applications Engineer Specialist, National Instruments

Read the Best Practices for NI TestStand Report Generation and Customization document.

Best Practices for NI TestStand Process Model Development and Customization

Process model development and customization is probably one of the most powerful features in NI TestStand allowing you can generalize concepts and features across multiple test sequences and promote heavy code reuse to reduce development and maintenance time.   This document outlines best practices for developing and customizing the process model. 

• Mathieu Daigle - Software Engineer, Averna

Read the Best Practices for NI TestStand Process Model Development and Customization document.

NI TestStand Validation and Verification Best Practices

Verification and Validation (V&V) processes formally ensure that the test system is developed correctly and accomplishes its intended purpose.  This document discusses V&V as it applies to test systems developed with TestStand.

• Joe Spinozzi - Director of Operations, Cyth Systems

Read the Best Practices for NI TestStand Validation and Verification document.

Best Practices for Improving NI TestStand System Performance

The performance of your test system can significantly impact the productivity and cost of your manufacturing line. Slow test systems may require costly duplication or decrease test coverage, both of which can affect quality.  Optimizing the performance of your test software performance can provide large gains in test time and more thorough testing using fewer test stations.  This article discusses best practices for optimizing the performance of test stations developed with National Instruments TestStand software.

• Aaron Gelfand - Senior Systems Engineer, VI Technnology
• Daniel Elizalde - Product Development Manager, VI Technnology

Read the Best Practices for Improving NI TestStand System Performance document.

Best Practices for NI TestStand User Interface Development

The user interface is usually a test system's only point of interaction with test operators and engineers.  In addition, user interfaces are commonly used across different product lines and test systems.  Due to the importance and pervasiveness of test systems' user interfaces, developers must create easy to use, scalable and maintainable user interfaces.  NI TestStand provides tools for developing custom user interfaces.  This article explains the best practices to design and develop your TestStand User Interface.

• Paul Mueller - Staff Systems Engineer, VI Technology
• Daniel Elizalde - Product Development Manager, VI Technology

Read the Best Practices for NI TestStand User Interface Development document.

NI TestStand Shared Drive Deployment Reference Architecture

The deployment of test systems is one of the most important pieces of test framework development which is often overlooked. Deployment of NI TestStand systems in particular involves identifying all the different components that need to be deployed, determining their dependencies, and then packaging them into a deployable solution.  Once a deployable solution is created, there are multiple approaches that could be used to deploy it to test stations. This document discusses the concepts and best practices for a deployment architecture based on a shared network drive.

• Roberto Piacentini - Test Frameworks & Calibration Group Manager, National Instruments
• Hjalmar Perez - Senior Test Frameworks Software Engineer, National Instruments

Read the NI TestStand Shared Drive Deployment Reference Architecture document.

NI TestStand Type Management Best Practices

NI TestStand types are reusable data structures you can use to define variables, properties, and steps. Types facilitate the creation of type instances by providing a structure that you can use as a starting point for creating new elements instead of creating elements from scratch every time. TestStand uses types to define elements that define the behavior of a test system, such as steps, and elements that store data, such as result properties.  This document describes how types function and suggests best practices for type management.

• Santiago Delgado - NI TestStand Product Engineer, National Instruments 

Read the NI TestStand Type Management Best Practices document.

Other NI TestStand Resources

• NI TestStand Reference Manual
• NI TestStand Introductory Videos
• Test Management Software Developer's Guide

18 Ratings | 3.44 out of 5

Read in  Chinese (Traditional) English |  Print |  PDF

Reader Comments | Submit a comment »

This kind of information is really helpful for test engineers. Little by little National instruments is helping to standarize TestStand use among test engineering groups in several companies.
- EDGAR GARCIA,LPL DEVELOPMENT. egarcia@lpldevelopment.com - Dec 17, 2009

General
Athough the first two featured items: NI TestStand Shared Drive Deployment Reference Architecture NI TestStand Type Management Best Practices, dont really go in to much detail. I believe a series like this on TestStand has been a long time coming and has the potental to being something really positive.
- Raymond Farmer,Nomad Technical Services Ltd. ray.farmer@talk21.com - Apr 17, 2008