LTT GUI

The main window contains: - assigned DUT name and type - current test step - current status - current runtime - current step runtime - temperature chamber contact status - power supply voltages - chamber temperatures - current operation mode

The window title shows some basic informations about the software.

• Left: IRS LTT GUI + [Project name] + [LTT number] (as defined in ltt_main_config.xml)
• Middle: current date and time
• Right: Program version

Please note that all configurations are stored under the given project name. If you change the project name you basically start a new configuration. Read chapter Configuration more details.

From the menu you can access all functions of the LTT software. The most important ones are also accessible from the Toolbar below.

The toolbar offers the most important program functions as buttons with keyboard shortcuts. All those functions are also accessible through the Menu.

Icon	Function
	Start / Stop single test station
	Start all test stations
	Dialog: reset errors
	Stop all test stations
	Dialog: project wizard
	Abort station
	Dialog: action log
	Dialog: test parameter configuration
	Dialog: station overview
	Dialog: history data
	Dialog: limit configuration
	Dialog: test configuration
	Dialog: error configuration
	Dialog: data transfer
	Dialog: error live display
	Dialog: measurement live display
	Dialog: reset cycles / time
	Dialog: reset history data

The test station display is the central part of the main window and shows the configured test stations as a rectangle, which contains various information about the individual test stations.

A test station represents the physical location where a device under test (DUT) can be connected to the LTT. The LTT may have more than one test station.

1. test station number (more info)
2. DUT type and name (more info)
3. runtime values (more info)
4. requested state (e.g. start requested, stop requested)
5. custom status message or error text (more info)
6. current runtime | cycle counter | error counter(s) (more info)

A test station display can have the following appearances:

Stopped test station Status text is "OFF". Runtime values are not displayed.

Running test station Status text und runtime values are updated from TestStand. Runtime gets updated periodically.

Error limit reached Status text is "error limit reached [nnnn]", where [nnnn] is the error number (more info) of the corresponding limit test, whose error limit is reached. A test station stops if a limit test has reached its error limit. Details can be found in history log.

Limit not found Status text is "limit not found". The test station stops if a limit test step cannot find its limit. Details can be found in history log. See troubleshooting for further explanations.

Testplan error Status text is "testplan error". The test station stops if there is an error during TestStand execution (e.g. syntax error). The exact error reason is shown as a tooltip if the mouse pointer is moved over the status text. Further details can be found in history log. See troubleshooting for further explanations.

GUI error The test station stops if there is an error in GUI software. This can be due to a software bug but also due to invalid data sent from TestStand to GUI. The exact error reason is shown as a tooltip if the mouse pointer is moved over the status text. Further details can be found in history log. See troubleshooting for further explanations.

The test groups display is located at the bottom part of the main window.

A test group is a logical container which groups one or more DUT's together with one or more power supplies and temperature sensors.

• How to configure test groups?
• How to assign DUT's (test stations) to a test group?

You need to create at least one test group. More than one test group are usually only needed when you want to run different sets of DUT's with different supply voltages in parallel.

The test group display shows various test group related information:

1. group name
2. assigned test stations
3. current TCC value (more info)
4. current temperature (more info)
5. current supply voltage (more info)
6. currently mapped operation mode (more info)

The displayed TCC input indicators for each group are determined by the TCC mask which is defined in the project wizard. If you move your mouse cursor over such an indicator, a tooltip appears, showing the TCC indicator index. The index goes from 1 to 8 (left to right).

Group display

The test groups display is located at the bottom part of the main window.

A test group is a logical container which groups one or more DUT's together with one or more power supplies and temperature sensors.

• How to configure test groups?
• How to assign DUT's (test stations) to a test group?

You need to create at least one test group. More than one test group are usually only needed when you want to run different sets of DUT's with different supply voltages in parallel.

The test group display shows various test group related information:

1. group name
2. assigned test stations
3. current TCC value (more info)
4. current temperature (more info)
5. current supply voltage (more info)
6. currently mapped operation mode (more info)

The displayed TCC input indicators for each group are determined by the TCC mask which is defined in the project wizard. If you move your mouse cursor over such an indicator, a tooltip appears, showing the TCC indicator index. The index goes from 1 to 8 (left to right).

The status bar at the bottom of the main window contains a button for loading a TestStand sequence file on the left. Once a TestStand sequence file is loaded it also displays the name of that sequence file.

If you have an invalid or incomplete configuration the load button is disabled.

On the right, you will see an indicator whether measurement recording is active or not. By clicking on that indicator the Data Recording dialog opens.

Each dialog can be canceled by pressing ESC. All changes made in a dialog only take effect, when the dialog is closed through the Apply button.

In this dialog you can reset certain things related to individual test stations. You can select what to reset and which stations to reset. The dialog can be opened through different buttons / key combinations. Each type of invocation results in different reset options to be preset. Despite of the preset options you are free to change them after the dialog has opened.

Use F2 to reset the temporary error counters. Use Alt+F6 to clear all station data (incl. history data). Use Alt+F12 to only clear the history data.

The "Archive history files" function is only selectable if the dialog is opened through the corresponding button inside the Alt-F10 dialog.

The project wizard guides you through the most basic settings of your individual LTT project and is usually performed only one time during the initial setup of your LTT.

You need a password to enter the project wizard. Ask IRS for the password.

The project wizard is composed of 4 steps:

• Definition of test stations
• Definition of DUT types
• Definition of test groups (and the assignment of power supplies / temperature sensors to that groups)
• Definition of signals (and the assignment of those signals to individual DUT types)

A test station represents the physical location where a device under test (DUT) can be connected to the LTT. The LTT may have more than one test station. You need to define at least one test station.

To add test stations, simply click on the ➕ button. To remove them click on the ➖ button. You can however only add/remove stations at the end of the list, not in between. The stations are numbered automatically, starting from 1. You are free to change the number to something else at any time.

The number of stations determine how many parallel executions of the later loaded TestStand sequence file will be started. Each TestStand execution serves one DUT. The test station index is used to distinct between those executions in any form of display and file output. In TestStand you can access the current station index through a TestStand variable.

1.1.3.2.2.1.1MesSy V2

If you use a MesSy V2 within your LTT, which is the standard case, the test station index defined in GUI relates to the station index defined in the MesSy configuration file.

As you can see in the picture above, each station index maps to a single MesSy with a given IP address. However there are more advanced station configurations possible, which are not part of this documentation. Refer to the comment section inside of the example MesSy configuration file for more informations.

If you create more stations than you have defined in your MesSy configuration, the GUI will show you a warning.

1.1.3.2.2.1.2MesSy V1

If you want to use MesSy V1 you first have to change several other parameters as well. After restarting the GUI the test station configuration dialog will look like this.

Bus represents the last digit of the IP address of the MesSy to which this station is connected. The preceding part of the IP address is defined in MesSy configuration file (for example 192.168.222). A bus number of 3, for example, means, that this station is connected to the MesSy with the IP address 192.168.222.3.

Slot is a number to distinguish between multiple DUTs connected to one MesSy. It defaults to 1 and only needs to be changed if there are more DUTs connected to one MesSy. In fact, the combination of bus/slot must always be unique.

Read more about the usage of station ID or bus/slot in chapter MesSy Integration.

go to initial setup guide

A DUT type represents a specific variant of your devices under test. You need to define at least one DUT type.

To add a DUT type simply click on an empty row in the grid and type a name. Description is optional.

To delete a DUT type select a row and press the DEL key on your keyboard.

Later, when you configure your test, you assign each DUT a DUT type. The DUT type also determines which set of limits to use for that DUT, since each DUT type has its own set of limits.

go to initial setup guide

A test group is a logical container which groups one or more DUT's together with one or more power supplies and temperature sensors. You need to define at least one test group.

To add a test group simply click on an empty row in the grid and type a name. To delete a test group select a row and press the DEL key on your keyboard.

The Max. Runtime parameter is the desired runtime in hours of the tests running under this group. You can later change this parameter in the F10 - test parameter configuration dialog.

The TCC mask determines, which of the total of 8 TCC inputs you want to use for this group. You can use all 8 inputs or just a subset of them. You can also use the same inputs in multiple groups. The TCC mask determines, which TCC indicators are displayed for each group in main window's group display or in the F10 - test parameter configuration dialog.

If you move your mouse cursor over such an TCC input indicator, a tooltip appears, showing the TCC indicator index. The index goes from 1 to 8 (left to right).

Finally you assign one or more of the available power supplies (PS) and temperature sensors (TS) to each group. Those are defined in the module configuration file, which you need setup before running the project wizard. Multiple power supplies and temperature sensors are differentiated by a 1-based index following its fixed prefix (PS or TS). In TestStand you can refer to those power supplies and temperature sensors by using that index.

go to initial setup guide

A signal is an analog output of your device under test or any other DUT related data you want to evaluate through a limit test (for example a CAN message).

To add a signal simply click on an empty row in the grid and type a name. Description is optional.

To delete a signal select a row and press the DEL key on your keyboard.

You assign a signal to one more DUT types (which you have defined previously). By default, each created signal is assigned to all available DUT Types. In most cases this common but it may happen, that one variant of your DUT has less/different analog outputs than another one.

Usually you want to evaluate all analog DUT outputs which are defined in the MesSy configuration file. Therefore you can import the signals defined there.

go to initial setup guide

In this dialog you can define limits for the signals you have defined in project wizard.

You have to go through the project wizard first, before you can configure limits.

Here are some quick facts:

• There are separate limit definitions for each DUT type.
• A signal can have multiple limits.
• Each limit has an unique numeric identifier (the error number) and a name.
• The error number must be unique within the same DUT type.
• The limit name must be unique within the same signal.
• It is possible to define numeric and string limits.

When you open the F5 dialog, you see near the top of the dialog a tab for each DUT type you have defined in project wizard. In each tab, the signals you have defined in project wizard are listed. If you expand those signals (small down arrow), you will see the limits defined for each signal. In case you have a newly setup LTT there are no limits yet.

To define a limit, simply click in an empty row below an expanded signal. You have to provide a unique error number and a unique limit name. You have to check by yourself which error number is unused, but the dialog will not allow you to apply any changes if there are duplicate error numbers or limit names.

A limit error number must be unique within the same DUT type. A limit name must be unique within the same signal. You are responsible!

The preset limit name is default, but you can change it to whatever you want. The idea is, to provide multiple limits for the same signal, because the signal can be tested under different circumstances / in different contexts. For example, you have a default limit for a signal when it is not stimulated / active. That limit might be around 0 V, depending on your signal type. Then you have a limit for the case, when the signal is stimulated / active. A possible limit value could be around 12 V and the limit could be named active. Additionally you may want to test the signal under different stimulation levels, for example under voltage. You could create another limit name under_voltage with a different limit range.

There can be multiple limits per signal, depending on in how many different scenarios you want to test the signal. Read about Limit Tests to learn how to select and perform a specific limit test.

It is a good practice to keep numeric gaps between the error numbers for each signal. That way, you can later add additional limits to a signal while having a continuous numeration within that signal. A numeric gap of 10 should be sufficient for most cases.

go to initial setup guide

Instead of typing each limit manually, which can be a tedious work if you have many signals, you can use the limit generator, which you launch with the button at the right top corner.

With the limit generator you create a limit with the provided name, min and max value for every signal and every DUT type. As for the error numbers, you choose a starting number and an increment (remember the numeric gap). If you apply the generator like in the picture above to an empty limit configuration, you will get the following result.

Afterwards, you can adjust the limit values if needed, which is altogether a faster way of creating limits than doing it one by one.

Assume you have the following limit configuration:

Open the limit generator and enable the Renumerate limits option.

That way you can enter a different error starting number and increment together with a limit name. The min and max values are ignored in that case. If you apply, all limits with the provided name will be renumerated, starting from the provided value with the provided increment.

Be careful to avoid collisions with existing error numbers. The generator will tell you if this is the case and the numbers will not be applied.

Assume you have the following limit configuration:

Open the limit generator and enable the Overwrite option.

That way you can enter different min and max values together with a limit name. The error number and increment values are ignored in that case. If you apply, all limits with the provided name will be set to the new min and max values.

You can use the renumerate and overwrite option in combination.

If you setup your limit configuration for one DUT type and want to copy it to the other DUT types you can do so by expanding the Additional functions at the bottom of the dialog.

There you choose the source DUT type from the left combo box and one or more destination DUT types from the list to the right. If you click on the Copy limits button all limits, including their min and max values are copied to the selected DUT types.

The copy limits function adds limits from a source DUT type, which do not exist in the destination DUT type. If the overwrite limits option is active, then existing limits in destination DUT type will be overwritten with the ones from source DUT type.

When you have more than one LTT and want to copy the limits from one LTT to another one, then use the Import limits function.

First, you have to copy the 50_LTT_SW\LTT Limit Files folder, containing the limits you want to import on another LTT, to the other LTT, but not at the same location!

Overwriting the limit configuration XML files of one LTT with those from another will not transfer the limits!

Assume you currently have the following limit configuration:

And you want to import those limits from the other LTT:

The best praxis is to copy the limit configuration folder from one LTT to the Desktop of the other LTT. Once you have the limits folder copied to the target LTT, you can press the Import limits button in the top right corner of the dialog. A folder selection dialog will prompt you the select the limit files folder to import.

All limit files (DUT types) from the import folder will be imported as long as there is a matching DUT type on the target LTT. If you want to import a specific DUT type only, then delete all other limit configuration files from the import folder.

After you have selected the import folder the limit import is performed. Once it is finished it will display a summary:

Be aware that importing limits will remove existing limits if they are not present in the imported limits.

After the import the limit configuration looks like this:

In this dialog you can do several things:

• set the maximum runtime your your test run
• set the minimum and maximum temperature of your temperature sensor(s)
• set the minimum, maximum and nominal voltage of your power supply/ies
• defined TCC <> operation mode mappings
• set operation mode parameters

All those settings are provided per test group.

You first need to define one or more test groups in project wizard before you can use this dialog.

Runtime

When a test station reaches the runtime you entered here it will automatically stop.

Temperature and voltage limits

A test station will stop with a system error if one of those limits are violated.

• Read more about operation mode mappings
• Read more about operation mode parameters

go to initial setup guide

You can add an operation mode mapping by pressing the button in the operation mode mapping section of the F10 dialog.

You need a password to add or remove operation mode mappings. Ask IRS for the password.

You need to load your testplan before you can map to operation modes of that testplan.

Each operation mode mapping consists of 1 to 8 round TCC input indicators and a drop down box. The TCC input indicators represent the value of the TCC hardware (or the simulated one).

The displayed TCC input indicators for each group are determined by the TCC mask, which is defined in the project wizard. If you move your mouse cursor over such an indicator, a tooltip appears, showing the TCC indicator index. The index goes from 1 to 8 (left to right).

In the drop down box you can select an operation mode sequence from the currently loaded testplan. You can add as many operation mode sequences as you want and select a corresponding TCC input pattern (like binary). You even can have multiple TCC patterns map to the same OM sequence. You should avoid, however, using the same TCC pattern for more than one OM.

With an operation mode mapping, you map a certain TCC input pattern to a single operation mode sequence of your testplan.

Once you have configured your TCC operation mode mappings you can run your testplan and it will execute that operation mode sequence, which is configured for the current TCC value.

You can see the currently mapped operation mode in the main window's group display. If this display is empty, no valid mapping exists for the current TCC value and the testplan will execute a fallback sequence.

The main window will display a warning message if there is no valid operation mode mapping at all and you are not allowed to start the loaded testplan.

This can happen if you

• have not configured any mapping yet
• changed the name of the operation mode sequence or deleted the sequence

go to initial setup guide

You can change operation mode parameter values in the operation mode parameters section of the F10 dialog. There is a tab for each operation mode defined in your testplan.

You need to load your testplan before you can see and change operation mode parameters.

The operation mode parameters are defined in your testplan, so you cannot add or remove parameters here. In this dialog you only change the current values of those operation mode parameters.

You can update operation mode parameters even if if testplan is already running.

go to initial setup guide

In this dialog you assign your devices under test to the individual test stations.

You first need to define one or more test stations in project wizard before you can use this dialog.

You first need to define one or more DUT's in DUT management dialog before you can assign them to test stations.

The best practice procedure to configure your test stations is as follows:

1. Make sure you have created the DUT's you want to assign
   • If not, create them in DUT management dialog.
2. Multi-select all stations you want to configure
   • Select first station
   • Press and hold shift key
   • Select last station
   • To select non-consecutive stations hold down ctrl key while selecting each station.
3. Choose / enter the common for all settings
   • Those typically are test order ID, qualification ID, DUT type, Group and chamber ID
   • Qualification ID is optional
   • Chamber ID is optional
   • Vibration axis is optional
4. Select each individual station and choose / enter the individual settings
   • Those typically are DUT name and cable ID.
   • Selection will jump to next row if you enter DUT name and current row is complete.
   • Cable ID is optional and should be entered first, otherwise the selection might jump to next row.
5. Press Apply

go to initial setup guide

Before you can assign DUT's to test stations you need to define DUT's by their serial numbers / names.

Open the DUT management dialog by pressing the small button next the the DUT name drop down field in F11 dialog.

Just enter a name prefix and a numeric suffix and press the button.

You can delete individual DUT's by selecting them and pressing the del key.

back to F11 dialog

TODO

Through the hardware menu of the main window you can access panels to show / control every LTT standard hardware.

A LTT usually comes with the following standard hardware:

• power supplies (for the DUT's)
• temperature sensors (for climatic chambers)
• temperature chamber contact (digital I/O)

You have to configure the LTT standard hardware in module configuration file.

You can access the power supply control panels through the main window menu Hardware > PS.

A panel will open for every PS configured in module configuration. Power supplies configured as tsonly will not show up.

You can access the temperature sensor control panels through the main window menu Hardware > TS.

A panel will open for every TS configured in module configuration. With simulated TS driver you can set a temperature, otherwise the panel is read only.

You can access the temperature chamber contact control panel through the main window menu Hardware > TCC.

With simulated TCC driver you can set a TCC value, otherwise the panel is read only.

The temperature chamber contact is a digital input for the LTT.

The input is usually set from the climatic chamber, which usually accompanies each LTT.

The TCC consists of 8 input channels (bits).

You need the TCC input for determining which operation mode of your testplan should execute.

The standard TCC module is a NI PCI-6503 24 channel digital in/out card. The 24 channels are grouped by 3 ports á 8 lines.

A valid test station can be

• started
• stopped
• terminated
• aborted

A test station is valid if it has a completely configured test order.

You can choose to start the currently selected test station (F1) or all valid test stations at once (F7).

You can issue a stop request for the currently selected test station (F1) or all running test stations at once (F8).

By issuing a stop request, it depends on the TestStand sequence file if, when and how the test actually stops. This is determined by the use of the Check For Stop step inside of your TestStand sequence file. See stop conditions for more informations.

It may happen, that a test station refuses to stop. This can have several reasons:

• no proper usage of the Check For Stop step (infinite loop)
• a blocking call to an external code module (LabView, .NET)
• long time to reach the next Check For Stop step

In such cases you can terminate a test station (Shift+F9). A termination request will end the execution of the selected test station, no matter where the execution currently is and whether a Check For Stop step is used or not!

Terminating test stations still perform all cleanup steps defined in the TestStand sequence file.

The termination will not work however if the test station execution has a (infinite?) blocking call to an external code module. If that is the case you can press Shift+F9 again. This will change the termination request to an abort request.

Aborting test stations do not perform any cleanup steps defined in the TestStand sequence file. This may lead to leaving the system in a dangerous state, possibly causing harm to the device under test!

1.1.3.5.1The test station display bottom line explained

The bottom line of a test station box displays 4 different information:

• current test time
• current test cycle
• number of total errors (1)
• number of temporary errors (2)

(1) This is the number of error entries (lines) you will see in F4 dialog "total error counters"

(2) This is the number of error entries (lines) you will see in F4 dialog "temporary error counters"

1.1.3.5.2Test station display status colors

The station boxes in main window can be configured to be more colorful in order to display the current status of a station. You can enable this feature in menu Configuration > Test panel configuration.

Once you have this feature enabled, the station display bottom line has the following colors during a test run:

There are a couple of station errors which can happen during the execution of a test. The so called system errors are treated like limit errors and have error numbers < 50.

Do not provide error numbers < 50 for your limit tests.

Like with limit errors, you can set the error tolerance in F6 dialog.