TestPad Development Studio contains the following modules:
TestPad Development Studio (executable file): integrates all of the TestPad modules into a single application.
Instrument message-based communication (COM servers), Connections.
· Writing/reading ASCII messages over GPIB, RS-232, TCP/IP, USB interfaces by means of the VISA I/O library.
· Connection Simulation capabilities: saving all run-time queries (sent message - response) into a Connection Simulation File and generating 'simulated' responses from this file later.
· Providing I/O communication protocols over VISA supported interfaces, such as Telnet over TCP/IP. Simplifed application of a custom I/O communication protocol by implementing a COM server and specifying it during connection configuration.
Device Adapter executive (executable + COM server), Devices.
· Interactively defining rules for generating/parsing messages (device operations).
· Creating device configuration attributes used as parameters within device operations.
· Specifying Open/Close device sequences, and device default values (Timeout, Termination string, etc.).
· Run-time executive interpreting Device Adapter file into an actual automation COM server (IDispatch interface) with specified device operations - device object model (properties & methods).
System Configuration Hardware Manager (COM server): provides Connections & Devices configuration database services.
· Two global collections in the System XML configuration store: Connections and Devices.
· Adding a new connection/device by logical name.
· Retrieving all configuration attributes and their valid values of the specified connection/device.
· Configuring connection/device, such as specifying values for connection's VISA attributes or Device Adapter configuration attributes.
· View & Open system connections/devices.
Database support (COM server).
· Saving test results for every single data spec validation, test script status or any user defined data for further processing/analysis.
· Data is saved providing Test ID, Test Result ID, Test Value, Test Status, Description, DUT Serial Number, execution session, Date & Time.
Test Engine (COM server): provides all of the TestPad run-time functionality within test applications, such as Script Executive, Test Control Panel or custom application.
· Executing / evaluating test script: any script language implemented as a Windows Active Scripting engine (JScript, VBScript, etc).
· Data validation according to provided test specification: value, range, pattern.
· Using TestPad Graph ActiveX control to display two-dimensional data.
· Using TestPad Database support to implicitly/explicitly save test results.
· Saving data into a spreadsheet file.
· Output user messages.
Test Script Executive (executable file).
· Loading, editing and executing TestPad Script Files.
· Execute any script language implemented as a Windows Active Scripting engine (JScript, VBScript, etc).
· TestPad Script has a configuration, preset, test and reset sections.
Test Control Panel (executable file).
· Designing User Front Test Control Panels containing controls (edit boxes, buttons, graphs, pictures, static text, group boxes) and the main script.
· Each control has corresponding initialize, get and set script task.
TestPad Tracer (executable file).
· Tracing & Logging actual write/read messages to/from devices and connections.
· Tracing all TestPad system error messages.
System Requirements
To install TestPad Development Studio, your computer must have the following:
· Microsoft Windows 2000/XP operating system;
· Run-time VISA-COM I/O library, such as NI VISA, Agilent VISA or any other "VISA Implementation Specification for COM" implementation (often supplied on the CD-ROM with the Test Instruments);
· Intel Pentium class processor, 133 MHz or higher;
· Video display - 800 × 600, 256 colors;
· Minimum of 128 MB of RAM;
· Minimum of 40 MB of free hard disk space;
