Test Station Package XML Conventions

Test Station XML File Tag Reference

<TestStation> —Top-level tag for .teststation files.

Table 23. <TestStation> Attributes

Attribute Name	Data Type	Required?	Accepted and Default Values	Description
Name	string	Yes	—	Unique name of the test station package. Once defined, this name should never be changed. If DisplayName is not defined, this name is shown in the Name drop-down listbox in the Test Station section of the BTS Web UI Test Plan Editor.
DisplayName	string	No	—	Display name of the test station. This name is shown in the Name listbox in the Test Station section of the BTS Web UI Test Plan Editor. control.
SystemDefinition	string	Yes	—	Name of the .nivssdf file associated with the instruments, channels, and endpoints defined in the .teststation file.
ChannelMappings	string	No	—	Name and location of channel mappings file. The file path should be relative to the .teststation file.
TestStationDebuggingPage.Plugin	string	No	—	Identifier name of plugin used to debug a test stations’ physical connections or other issues. If included, appears as a Debugging button in the Test Station section of the BTS Web UI Test Plan Editor.
TestStandGrpcService.UseSsl	string	No	false	Indicates if the BTS Server should establish an encrypted link between a server and a client.
TestStandGrpcService.Port	string	No	64873	Specifies the port used for the TestStand gRPC service on the Lab PCs.
IsDeprecated	boolean	No	False	Indicates if the test station package name should be included in the test package selector menu when creating a new Test Plan.
CalibrationAndScales	string	No	—	Name and location of the calibration and scales file. The file path should be relative to the .teststation file.

<Instruments> —Tag which contains a list of all <Instrument> elements in a .teststation file.

<Instrument> —Tag which describes an instrument listed in the associated .nivssdf file.

Table 16. <Instrument> Attributes

Attribute Name	Data Type	Required?	Accepted and Default Values	Description
Name	string	Yes	—	Name of the instrument.
Type	enum	Yes	Vehicle Communications SystemLink Interface Embedded Data Logger Generic-Instrument BlackBox Recorder	User-defined type of the instrument. The data type of this attribute can be expanded by supplying plugins that add additional types.
RootChannelPath	string	Yes	—	Path of the instrument in the .nivssdf file.
ConfigurationInstrument.ConfigurationPath	string	No	—	Name of the Instrument .xml file associated with this instrument. If a configuration path is not provided, the system looks for a path of Name.xml.
ChannelsAliasGroup	string	No	"" (empty string)	Name of the Channel Group the instrument's channels belong to. This name can affect the Alias folder organization and the Embedded Data Logger channel groups.

<Sockets> —Tag which contains a list of all <Socket> elements in a .teststation file.

<Socket> —Tag which contains the connection schemas and endpoints of a test station.

Table 17. <Socket> Attributes

Attribute Name	Data Type	Required?	Accepted and Default Values	Description
Index	unsigned int	Yes	—	Index of the socket.

<Connectors> —Tag which contains a list of all <Connector> elements in a .teststation file. Contained within a <Socket> element.

<Connector> —Tag which contains a list of signal mappings of signals listed in a .connectorinterface file to instrument channels utilized in a test.

Table 18. <Connector> Attributes

Attribute Name	Data Type	Required?	Accepted and Default Values	Description
Name	string	No	"" (empty string)	Name of the <Connector> tag. This name appears in one of the drop-down listboxes in the Test Station Connector list in the DUT to Test Station Connectors section of the BTS Web UI Test Plan Editor.
ConnectorInterface	string	Yes	—	Name of the connector package the <Connector> tag is mapping channels to.

<SignalMapping> —Tag which maps a described signal in a connector package to an instrument channel from a test station.

Table 19. <SignalMapping> Attributes

Attribute Name	Data Type	Required?	Accepted and Default Values	Description
ConnectorSignal	string	Yes	—	Name of the connector package signal that a test station channel is being mapped to.
ChannelPath	string	Yes	—	Qualified path in VeriStand to software location of specific instrument channel in an instrument.

<Ports> —Tag which contains a list of all <Port> elements in a .teststation file. Contained within a <Socket> element.

<Port> —Tag which describes an industrial communication port used to monitor a measurement endpoint.

Table 22. <Port> Attributes

Attribute Name	Data Type	Required?	Accepted and Default Values	Description
Name	string	Yes	—	Name of the port.
PortNumber	unsigned int	Yes	—	Number of the port.
Type	enum	Yes	CAN LIN	Type of industrial communication protocol used on the port.

<Endpoints> —Tag which contains a list of all <Endpoint> elements in a .teststation file. Contained within a <Socket> element.

<Endpoint> —Tag which describes an endpoint value utilized in a test. Test station endpoints serve as an alias for a connected channel path, usually to a connected instrument.

Table 21. <Endpoint> Attributes

Attribute Name	Data Type	Required?	Accepted and Default Values	Description
Name	string	Yes	—	Name of the endpoint value. This name appears in one of the drop-down listboxes in the Endpoint list in the Endpoint Mappings section of the BTS Web UI Test Plan Editor.
ChannelPath	string	Yes	—	Qualified path in VeriStand to software location of endpoint value.

<AuxiliaryIOConnectors> —Tag which contains a list of all <Connector> elements which do not correspond to a specific socket's connector. For example, connectors for in-chamber measurements read by FieldDAQ may be added to this section.

<GeneralEndpoints> —Tag which contains a list of all <Endpoint> elements which do not correspond to a test socket. Name attributes of <GeneralEndpoints> tags appear in the Shared Endpoint list in the Endpoint Mappings section of the BTS Web UI Test Plan Editor. For example, endpoints for a thermal chamber can be added to this section.

Sample .teststation File

The following example illustrates a sample structure for a .teststation XML file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<TestSation Name ="Test Station 24" 
 SystemDefinition="SystemDefinition-TestStation24.nivssdf" 
 Hostname="192.168.132.127" Location="Bay 24">
    <Instruments>
        <Instrument Name="Scan Engine" Type="ScanEngine"
		RootChannelPath="Targets/Controller/Scan Engine
		and EtherCAT/Local Chassis/Slot2 (NI 9213)" />
        <Instrument Name="Network Daq" Type="Network-DAQ"
		RootChannelPath="Targets/Controller/
		Custom Devices/Network DAQ" />
        <Instrument Name="VCOM"
		Type="Vehicle Communications" RootChannelPath=
		"Targets/Controller/Custom Devices/VCOM" />
    </Instruments>
    <Sockets>
        <Socket Index="1">
            <Connectors>
                <Connector Name="Socket Connector 1"
			ConnectorInterface="type A" >
                    <SignalMapping ConnectorSignal="TC1"
				ChannelPath="Targets/Controller/
				Scan Engine and EtherCAT/Local
				Chassis/Slot2 (NI 9213)/tc0" />
                    <SignalMapping ConnectorSignal="VC1"
				ChannelPath="Targets/Controller/
				Custom Devices/
				Network DAQ/Measurements/Channel 0" />
                </Connector>
            </Connectors>
            <Ports>
                <Port Name="CAN_1" PortNumber="1" 
			Type="CAN" />
                <Port Name="CAN_2" PortNumber="2"
			Type="CAN" />
            </Ports>
            <Endpoints>
                <Endpoint Name="Cycler Set Voltage
			Upper Limit"
			ChannelPath="Targets/Controller/Custom Devices/
			EA PSB 1/Commands/DC Output Limits/Voltage Upper Limit" />
            </Endpoints>
        </Socket>
        <Socket Index="2">
            <Connectors>
                <Connector Name="Socket Connector 2"
		   ConnectorInterface="type A" >
                    <SignalMapping ConnectorSignal="TC1"
			ChannelPath="Targets/Controller/
			Scan Engine and EtherCAT/
			Local Chassis/Slot2 (NI 9213)/tc2" />
                    <SignalMapping ConnectorSignal="VC1" ChannelPath=
			"Targets/Controller/Custom Devices/
				Network DAQ/Measurements/Channel 2" />
                </Connector>
            </Connectors>
            <Endpoints>
                <Endpoint Name="Cycler Set Voltage Upper Limit"
		   ChannelPath="Targets/Controller/Custom Devices/
		   EA PSB 2/Commands/DC Output Limits/
			Voltage Upper Limit" />
            </Endpoints>
        </Socket>
    </Sockets>
    <AuxiliaryIOConnectors>
        <Connector Name="IO Connector 1" ConnectorInterface="type A" >
            <SignalMapping ConnectorSignal="TC1"
	      ChannelPath="Targets/Controller/
	      Network DAQ/Measurements/TC0" />
            <SignalMapping ConnectorSignal="TC2"
	      ChannelPath="Targets/Controller/
	      Custom Devices/Network DAQ/Measurements/TC1" />
        </Connector>
    </AuxiliaryIOConnectors>
    <GeneralEndpoints>
        <Endpoint Name="Chamber Set Temperature"
  	ChannelPath="Targets/Controller/Custom Devices
	  /EZT Chamber/Commands/Set Temperature" />
    </GeneralEndpoints>
</TestStation>