Configure PAtools to interact with SystemLink so that PAtools can send information to SystemLink.

  1. Enter the Server URL that you use for testing.
    When entering the Server URL, use the API URL. For example, if the server URL is https://dev.lifecyclesolutions.ni.com, the URL you must enter is https://dev-api.lifecyclesolutions.ni.com.
  2. Enter your API Key.
    Refer to Creating an API Key in the SystemLink Enterprise User Manual to learn how to create an API key.
  3. Click Test Access to verify that your connection is successful.
  4. Select a SystemLink Workspace.
    When information is uploaded from PAtools to SystemLink, this SystemLink workspace is updated.
  5. Optional: Enable or disable the ability to upload a DUT type or DUT to SystemLink.
    The default setting is that the upload is enabled for a DUT type and disabled for a DUT. Choose one of the following workflows to upload a DUT type or a DUT:
    • Upload a DUT type: If you want a PAtools and SystemLink workflow in which you create products in SystemLink, upload the PAtools DUT type to SystemLink. Upload the DUT type to SystemLink as a product family. Then, create a product in SystemLink using the PAtools DUT type name for the product family. Using the DUT type name for the product family associates the SystemLink product with the PAtools DUT type.
    • Upload a DUT: If you want a PAtools and SystemLink workflow in which you create DUTs in PAtools, upload the DUT to SystemLink. Upload the DUT to SystemLink as a product.

Adding an Execution Workflow

An execution workflow defines how a SystemLink test plan should be generated, deployed, started, and stopped.

Examples of actions that you can add to the execution workflow include the following:

  • START_AFTER_DEPLOY
  • GENERATE
  • DEPLOY
  • START
  • ABORT
  • END

Most execution actions are carried out by SystemLink calling a salt job on the host computer where that salt job is installed. Alternatively, SystemLink runs a Jupyter notebook that is imported into SystemLink. For example, you might install a salt job on the PXI controller to start a test. When you click Start in SystemLink, SystemLink calls the salt job. The salt job executes a script that starts the test on the PXI controller.

Select a workflow to be included with a SystemLink test plan template when uploading a test procedure to SystemLink. Each workflow is associated with one or more test procedure types. When you upload a test procedure, the workflow that is associated with the same test procedure type is included in the test plan template. If a workflow is not defined for a particular test procedure type, you cannot upload the test procedures of that type to SystemLink.

If you want to use a SystemLink workflow, create the workflow in SystemLink before beginning.
  1. Navigate to the SystemLink home page.
  2. Click API Documentation » Work Order.

    The Work Order API loads in Swagger. Use the API to create your SystemLink workflow.

Complete the following steps to add an execution workflow in PAconfigurator:
  1. Click the Workflows tab and select New Workflow.
  2. Enter a Name for the workflow.
  3. Select one of the following for the SystemLink Workflow.
    OptionDescription
    Default The default SystemLink workflow. If you choose Default, you can override the default execution actions.
    A SystemLink workflow The SystemLink workflow you created before beginning. If you choose a SystemLink workflow, you cannot override the execution actions defined by the workflow.
  4. Optional: Enter a description for the workflow.
  5. Select the Test Procedure Types that apply to the workflow.
    PAtools uses Test Procedure Types to know which workflow to include in a SystemLink test plan template. In this case, the test plan template in SystemLink is uploaded for a specific test procedure of the same test procedure type. A test procedure type can only be assigned to one workflow.
  6. Optional: If you selected the Default workflow, click Add Manual.
  7. Optional: If you selected the Default workflow, add a notebook.
    You can only add notebooks that are published in SystemLink.
    1. Click Add Notebook.
    2. Enter a Notebook Action.
    3. In the web application for SystemLink Scripts, navigate to the notebook that you want to add.
    4. Click Edit.
    5. From the EDIT PUBLISHED NOTEBOOK pane, copy the Notebook ID.
    6. In the Workflows tab of the SystemLink Configuration page in PAtools, paste the Notebook ID.
    7. Click Add Parameter to add each of the required parameters.
    8. Enter a parameter Key and Value.
      For example, you can enter PartNumber as the Key and <partNumber> as the Value. In this case, SystemLink passes the part number in your test plan to the notebook when it is executed.
  8. Optional: If you selected the Default workflow, add a job.
    1. Click Add Job.
    2. Enter a Job Action.
    3. Optional: Select a System.
      The system that you select executes the job action. If you do not select a system, the job action executes on the system in the scheduled test plan.
      Tip Select a system if you define a GENERATE job action. Selecting a system ensures that a test is generated on a dedicated test generator machine that runs on Windows. Refer to Setting up a Dedicated Test Generator Machine for more information about the dedicated test generator machine and PAtools Test Generator Software.
    4. Optional: Enter the Timeout (s).
      The default timeout is 120 s. Set the timeout if the run time of the job is longer than the default timeout.
      Note The run time for a GENERATE job is longer than the default timeout.
    5. Click Add Function to add each of the required arguments for the function.
    6. In Function, enter <Python script>.<Python function>
      • Python script location on the test generator machine in Windows: C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\salt\var\extmods\modules
      • Python script location on the Linux Real-Time system: /var/lib/salt/minion/extmods/modules
  9. Click Save.

Adding a Dashboard

When you upload a Test Procedure to SystemLink from PAtools, you can select a dashboard to monitor the test when it executes. To do so, add and configure a reference to a SystemLink dashboard in PAtools.

You can create Grafana dashboards in SystemLink to monitor an executing test in real-time. Create a dashboard that displays test data from a running test, such as alarm statuses, temperature, and voltage values. Refer to Visualizing Notebook Data on a Dashboard in the SystemLink Enterprise User Manual for more information about SystemLink dashboards.

You can configure the same dashboard multiple times. For example, you can configure the same dashboard with different values for the variables that you define.

Before you add a dashboard, identify the SystemLink dashboard that you want to add in PAtools.
  1. Click the Dashboards tab and select New Dashboard.
  2. Enter the Name of the dashboard.
  3. Navigate to the dashboard you want to add in the SystemLink web client.
  4. From the dashboard page in the SystemLink web client, copy the dashboard ID from the URL.
    The SystemLink dashboard URL has the following format: https://<systemlink server>/dashboards/d/<dashboard ID>/<dashboard name>
  5. In the Dashboards tab of the SystemLink Configuration page in PAtools, paste the ID in Dashboard Id.
  6. Optional: Enter a Description of the dashboard.
  7. Add Variables as needed for your dashboard.
    1. Click Add Variable.
    2. Enter the variable Key.
    3. Enter a variable Value.
  8. Click Save.