You can create custom user interfaces and create user interfaces for other components, such as custom step types. Use the TestStand User Interface (UI) Controls on the Controls»TestStand palette in LabVIEW to develop a custom user interface application, including custom sequence editors.

When you place TestStand UI Controls on the front panel of a VI, you can use the LabVIEWActiveX functionality to program the controls. You can also configure the controls interactively using the LabVIEW ActiveX Property Browser or control property pages if available. Right-click the control and select Property Browser from the context menu to open the LabVIEW ActiveX Property Browser. Right-click the control and select Properties from the context menu to launch the property page.

TestStand VIs and Functions

The TestStand VIs and functions on the Functions»TestStand palette in LabVIEW are the LabVIEW versions of the functions in the TestStand Utility (TSUtil) Functions Library.

Use the TestStand VIs and functions for the following tasks:

  • Inserting menu items that automatically execute commands the TestStand UI Controls provide
  • Localizing the strings in a user interface
  • Making dialog boxes VIs launch modal to TestStand applications
  • Determining whether an execution that calls a VI code module is terminating or aborting
  • Allowing the calling execution thread to suspend when a VI code module performs a lengthy operation
  • Setting and obtaining the values of TestStand properties and variables

Right-click the VI on the Functions palette or on the block diagram and select Help from the context menu to access the help for the VI.

TestStand Version Selector

The TestStand Version Selector installs the Controls»TestStand palette and the Functions»TestStand palette when it detects an installation of LabVIEW. If you have just installed a new version of LabVIEW, the palettes do not appear in LabVIEW until you launch the TestStand Engine, at which point the TestStand Version Selector detects the new version of LabVIEW and installs the palette files. You can also launch the TestStand Version Selector, select the current version of TestStand, and click the Make Active button to re-activate the current version of TestStand and to re-install the palette files.

Note Refer to the Starting and Shutting Down TestStand from a LabVIEW User Interface topic for more information about properly starting and shutting down TestStand from LabVIEW applications.