Configuring Data and File Publishing to SystemLink

Create a SystemLink.xml file to configure settings for the Battery Test System for data and file publishing in the SystemLink plugin. The SystemLink plugin is a custom device for VeriStand that handles publishing of data and files from each socket within your test environment. By creating this SystemLink.xml file and completing the procedure configuring the SystemLink plugin, files generated by the Embedded Data Logger, Black Box Recorder, and XNET Logger are published to SystemLink and attached to the SystemLink Test Results associated with a given test execution.

Complete these steps to configure the SystemLink plugin for the Battery Test System:

  1. Add a SystemLink.xml file within the folder BTSPackages\TestStations\TestStationName on the machine in your system that contains your test station packages.
    Note You can use the template for a SystemLink.xml file installed on the Lab PC at %Public%\Documents\National Instruments\Battery Test System\Toolkit\Examples\Templates\TestStation Package Files.
  2. Populate Systemlink.xml, using the following elements to define your data and file preferences:
    • <SystemLink>—Top-level tag for the Systemlink.xml file.
    • <CustomDeviceProperties>—Container tag for other elements, including the following attributes:
      • TimeInterval: the frequency to check for data log files ready to move to SystemLink, in seconds.
      • RetentionType: valid values are None, Days, and Points.
      • RetentionPeriod: If RetentionType is Days, RetentionPeriod is the number of days of historical data to retain. If RetentionType is Points, RetentionPeriod is the number of points of historical data to retain.
      • TagUpdateRate: The frequency at which tags should be published to the SystemLink server, in Hz. It is recommended not to publish more than 1,000 tags per second collectively from all Lab PCs that are publishing tags to SystemLink.
      • CollectAggregates: Indicates if aggregate values (min/max/mean/count) are calculated for each tag. The default is false. Setting to true may impact performance.
      • AlarmStatusAliasTags: Indicates which alarms to publish as SystemLink tags.
      • UserChannelTags: Indicates which user channels to publish as SystemLink tags.
      • CalculatedChannelTags: Indicates which calculated channels to publish as SystemLink tags.
      • TestSequenceAliasTags: Indicates which aliases to publish as SystemLink tags.
      • TestStationAliasTags: Indicates which aliases to publish as SystemLink tags.
        Note By default, all alarms, user channels, calculated channels, and aliases are published to SystemLink. To publish a subset of them, use the AlarmStatusAliasTags, UserChannelTags, CalculatedChannelTags, TestSequenceAliasTags and TestStationAliasTags sections along with the ChannelTag property. You can use the RetentionType and RetentionPeriod to configure these properties on an individual section or channel basis.
  3. Ensure your test station XML configuration file includes the following <Instrument> reference to the SystemLink interface: 
    <Instrument Name="SystemLink" Type="SystemLink Interface" RootChannelPath="Targets/Controller/Custom Devices/SystemLink" ConfigurationInstrument.ConfigurationPath="SystemLink.xml" />