Patterns
- Updated2025-10-09
- 2 minute(s) read
Use the pattern document to view, create, modify, load, burst, and debug binary pattern files (.digipat). A digital pattern file can contain only one pattern.
on the Project Explorer window toolbar to create a new document.
Double-click a
.digipat file in the Project Explorer window or right-click the file and select
Open from the context menu to launch the pattern document.
Text Pattern File Format
The Digital Pattern Editor requires a compiled, binary version of the pattern file to edit or burst. You can compile an ASCII text pattern file format (.digipatsrc) into a binary version. The ASCII format can be helpful in the following situations:
- Writing tools or scripts that generate pattern files.
- Writing tools or scripts that convert text pattern files from other testers to the NI text pattern file format.
- Storing revisions of the text pattern file in source code control systems.
- Using a third-party application to compare revisions of the pattern file.
- Manually editing pattern files in a standard text editor.
Related Information
- Compiling Pattern Files
- Pattern Grid View
Click the Grid tab on the pattern document toolbar to launch the pattern grid view. Use this view to see components of the binary pattern file, including time sets, labels, opcodes, vector numbers, pin state data that indicates drives and compares, comments for each vector, exported labels, and comments from the top of the file. Use the pattern waveform view for a graph-based representation of the pattern. You can select and right-click vectors in the pattern grid view and select Show Vectors in Waveform View from the context menu to launch the pattern waveform view. You can also click the Waveform tab on the pattern document toolbar to launch the pattern waveform view. An asterisk (*) next to a filename in the Project Explorer window and in the document tab indicates that the file has been modified but not saved.
- Editing Documents
- Text Pattern File Syntax
- Opcodes
- Bursting Patterns and Viewing Results
- Debugging Techniques
To interactively debug patterns on digital pattern instruments, you typically pause the execution of the test program and open a project in the Digital Pattern Editor that has the same active pin and channel map as the test program uses. If you previously created instrument sessions with the digital pattern editor, disconnect those sessions before executing the test program. The digital pattern editor automatically connects to the available instruments defined in the active pin and channel map or returns a detailed error message explaining why it cannot connect to the sessions. You can also select the Instruments Connect menu item in the digital pattern editor to connect to the existing instrument sessions the test program application created.
- Keep Alive Patterns
Keep alive patterns prevent interference with clocks and PLLs during certain actions in the Digital Pattern Editor. Use them to maintain stability while performing other tasks.
- Scan Patterns
Scan patterns are specialized patterns designed to test DUT circuitry using scan chains. Scan patterns contain scan pins and scan vectors in addition to DUT pins and vectors.
- Getting Started with Digital Pattern Instruments
- NI-Digital Pattern Driver Examples
Use the NI-Digital Pattern Driver examples to learn more about how to use the NI-Digital Pattern Driver software to configure and control digital pattern instruments.