Creating Custom Instrument Panels

You must create the following components to implement a custom instrument panel you can launch from the Semiconductor Module menu:

• A custom instrument panel callback sequence file that meets the following requirements:
  • The file must reside in the <TestStand Public>\Components\Modules\NI_SemiconductorModule\CustomInstrumentPanels directory.
    Note After you add custom instrument panel components to this directory, you must restart TestStand to register the custom instrument panel and update the Semiconductor Module » Custom Instrument Panels menu.
  • The file must contain a LaunchCustomInstrumentPanel callback sequence that includes a TestStand Action step to launch the custom instrument panel VI. Ensure that you enable the Show VI Front Panel option on the Module tab of the step. The LaunchCustomInstrumentPanel callback sequence must also include a Parameters variable of type Object Reference named SemiconductorModuleManager.
  • The file must include a file global variable named CustomInstrumentPanelDisplayName. This variable must include a unique value to display in the Semiconductor Module » Custom Instrument Panels menu.
  • The file can include an optional file global variable named CustomInstrumentPanelIcon to specify the filename of an icon to display in the Semiconductor Module » Custom Instrument Panels menu. The icon must be located in the C:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\<TestStand>\Components\Icons directory.
• A custom instrument panel VI, for example, TopLevel.vi, that implements debugging tasks for the instrument and that meets the following requirements:
  • You must call the VI from a TestStand Action step in the LaunchCustomInstrumentPanel callback sequence.
  • You must use the Parameters.SemiconductorModuleManager string to pass the Semiconductor Module Manager object reference to the VI.
    Note NI recommends that custom instrument panel VI source code resides in the <TestStand Public>\Components\Modules\NI_SemiconductorModule\CustomInstrumentPanels directory along with the required custom instrument panel callback sequence file.

Refer to the following resources that you can use as starting points for custom instrument panels you create:

• Examples located in the <TestStand Public>\Examples\NI_SemiconductorModule\Custom Instrument Panels directory
• A template for the required custom instrument panel callback sequence file named CustomInstrumentPanel.seq located in the <TestStand>\Components\Modules\NI_SemiconductorModule\Templates directory
• A template for the required corresponding custom instrument panel LabVIEW project files located in the <TestStand>\Components\Modules\NI_SemiconductorModule\Templates\CustomInstrumentPanelTemplate directory