Test controller, Steps popup

Test controller, Steps popup

Steps

This popup can perform a timed sequence of steps on any number of devices. It support number field and all interface functions. It is possible to manually enter data in the table or it can generate ramps, triangles, on/off data.

Note: This popup has a rendering bug when resizing, if it fails to render correctly select a field in the table.

Contents
    What is on screen
        The Add button
        The Output map button
    The last row
    Keys and values
        Keys
        Time values and performance
        Channel values
    Comparing to param sweeper
        Similarities
        Advantage to param sweeper
        Advantage to steps
    Generating a ramp
    Logging
    Saving
    Scripting
Main page

What is on screen

StepsUser

Time: The time for each step, this can be either the time for this step or the total time before this step, this is controlled by the "Total time" checkmark and Alt-T key. It is not possible to add time in "Total time" mode, only when it is time for each step, time can be edited in both modes.
Channel: Each channel is a value that can be controlled, these values are selected from number fields and #interface definitions for each device.
Reminder: Is a gray number, which is a reminder of the last setting, but do not exist as its own value.
Setting: A black number is a setting that is transmitted to the device on this channel.
Time display: The field showing the time into the sequence for selected column and total time for one run through the test.
Loop: A loop countdown, it is active when a test is running, it is also a setting of the number of loops to do.
Total Time: Select between total time and time for each row in the time column, this can be toggled with ALT-T.
Run a test: Press the start button to run a test, a green line will show the current state in the table, press stop to abort the test before it is finished (Outputs off on the main window will also abort the test)..
Channels: Add and remove channels. The add function will list all number fields and a few selected #interface functions, select "Other" for more #interface functions. To remove a channel: click on the column (not the header) and press remove, a confirmation box will be shown.
Logging: When enabled pressing start will start logging, when not checked the general logging controls on the main screen controls logging.
Graphic: Show a map of the outputs over time, see below.

The Add button

AddButton

The add button will list all currently connected devices. For each device there is a sub-menu listing all numeric fields and may also list a few #interfaces.
In the above example there is numeric fields from a couple of pages, if there had been a few more the menu would have added a level more where the page must be selected, before the actual fields are listed. The load has two #interface functions that are listed, in reality there are more, but they are duplicating the numeric fields.

AddOther

Selecting the Other menu option gives access to the all #interface functions, but a few specifications must be entered:

Device: Select the device, be aware that not all devices have #interface definitions.
Interface: select the desired #interface function, only set... functions are listen, because get... or read... cannot be used here.
Channel: For controls that are channel specific, the actual channel must be entered here, for channel 1 or global controls leave this field empty (or type a 1).
Type: Most #interface functions are double, similar to the numeric fields above, but there are a few exceptions and selecting the right type will limit the possible input values and enable text to be input for the String type. Boolean is a long, but limited to 0 and 1.
Limits: Limit the input range, this do not have to be the real input range for the device, but can also be what you want the output to be limited to. Only function is to limit what can be entered in the fields. For stings this specifies the minimum length, all strings will be padded to this length before being send to the device.
Cancel: Drop the selection again.
Ok: Enter the selected channel into the table.

The Output map button

OutputMap

When the table get long, it is very hard to see what is going on, to make that easier use the "Output map" button, it will show curves of all the channels.
The output is a image that can be saved or printed. If there are too many channels for one page, more will be generated.
It will list the maximum and minimum values in the curve, this can be used as a fast error check on the range of values.
To show the generated image it will use the build in image viewer in TC.

The last row

The last row will always be active for 0 seconds, this makes it more or less superfluous, but it has a very specific purpose.
When the test is finished this is the state all channels are left in, usually it will be a good idea to put all zeros in this row, but sometimes other values will be better. If no values are defined in the row, channels will maintain their current value.
If the "Stop" button is pressed, all channels will also be switched to these values, same if the popup is closed while running.
When doing loops, it will not be used, i.e. the channels is not switched to these settings, but will be directly switches to setting in the first row.
The "Outputs off" button on the main page will not use this row, but will turn all outputs off and stop any running test.

Keys and values

Keys
A couple of special keys are supported, function may depend on what column is selected:

Up/Down/Left/Right: The arrow keys will move around in the table, type a number to enter a value
F2: This key will force edit mode, but usually it is fine to just type a number or text directly.
Ctrl-INS: Works in time column to insert a row, if "Total time" is selected it will split the time else it will add time
Ctrl-DEL: Will remove a row when used in time column, but only a value in data columns
Ctrl-Up: Move a data value one up
Ctrl-Down: Move a data value one down
Alt-T: Toggle between delta time and total time (Same as (un)checking the "Total time" checkbox.

Time values and performance

Time can be specified as a number, a s/m/h prefix can be used for seconds/minutes/hours
It is also possible to use hh:mm:ss format, this is mostly useful in Total time mode
Both methods of entry can be used in both modes.
In Total time mode a specified time must be between the time of the previous entry and next entry, time cannot be added.
In delta time mode any time from 0.001 to days can be specified and will add to the total time.

It is possible to specify time down to ms level (0.001 second), but that does not mean that devices are updated that precise. TC will initiate the communication at the specified time, but for a serial device it can take 20ms (0.02) or more seconds to send and process the command.
Generally one slow device will not affect the other devices (Shared interfaces like Modbus and GPIB excluded). TC runs everything in parallel, i.e. it will start communication to all channels within the same ms.
If a channel gets behind, TC will start dropping updates to it, to keep it fairly current with the other channels.

Devices that send data for logging while being controlled from steps will use some communication bandwidth on that and can block the interface for 100ms (0.1) or more for each time a entry is logged.

Timing is very device depend, some device will be much better and some worse.

Channel values

Data depends on column type, it can be SI values, integer values or string values, there is also boolean, but that is just a integer with only 0 and 1 allowed.
Double/SI from the number controls will include a min/max specification from there and values outside that range will be ignored.
Interface Integers have min and max specifications and values outside that range will be ignored.
Interface Double have min and max specifications and values outside that range will be ignored.
Interface Strings do not required "" around them and leading or trailing spaces are ignored, but trailing spaces may be added when sending the value to the device. This can be used for remote readouts or to select mode on devices.

Gray values do not exist, but are just a repeat of a previous value in black and can be seen as a reminder of the last setting.

While running setup popups are not updated, but after a run all open setup popup will be synchronized to actual device state.

Comparing to param sweeper

There is some overlap with param sweeper, but there are also many differences. Generally param sweeper is used to do sweeps and steps are used for more complex test sequences.

Similarities

They can both generate sweeps
They can both generate step values.
They can both handle multiple devices.
They can both control logging

Advantage to param sweeper

Easy to configure a sweep.
Can control up to 3 sweeps inside each other
Can do logarithmic sweeps.
Can stop sweeps premature on specific conditions

Advantage to steps

Can control many devices/channels
Can control #interface, giving access to control more functions on the device.
Can do arbitrary long and complex sequences
Can show a graphic of the settings vs. time.
Can repeat the test sequence an arbitrary number of times.
Can mix sub-second and hour timing in the same sequence.
Will report missed steps on a device basics.

Generating a ramp

All these functions will select the marked row as their starting point, the marked row will be the row where the right-click was done.
All other entries in the time interval will be removed.
All the settings popup will verify that the value stays inside the valid range for the channel and disable the ok button if that is not the case.

GenerateMenu

Right click in a column to get this popup menu, the click must be in the data part, not on the header. This menu is common for all columns, except integer (long) with only a few value, where it is reduced to high/low and delete.
The last entry in the menu (log) will include this column in the log when logging.

RampPopup

Ramp and triangle popups are the same, the difference is the triangle varies direction for each repeat. I.e. to generate one triangle repeat must be two.
Step value can be negative to start with a negative ramp.

HighLowPopup

High/low will change between two values, it can be on/off (Type 1/0) for on/off channels, but any values can be used for other channels.
Repeat is for half a cycle, i.e. to get both first and second part it must be two.

DeletePopup

This popup is for removing values, only one of the field can be filled out.

Time: Remove all real values inside this time interval.
End time: Remove from current position and up to the specified time, if the specified time is before nothing is removed.
Data entries: Remove specified number of real values, i.e. values with black numbers/text, not the grey ones.

The Time column has a very different menu.

AddTimePopup

Add time steps at a specific interval, these steps will be added in addition to the already present steps. This is a way to add steps for easy entry of values in the channels columns. It is not possible to use this function multiple times to add more values because a optimize is done as part of this process. This mean the result from this will always be the optimized time column with the specified time steps added.

The Optimize function will check all channel columns for used time points and optimize the time column to only include these. This there will be one or more data column with data for each row.

Logging

Logging can be controlled from the main page of TC or from this page by checkmarking Log.
The log will include all regular logged values from the devices, but can also include settings controlled from this page.

GenerateMenu

The Generate menu (right-click in a column) includes a log checkbox, when it is checked that column is included in logging.
Note the column must be checkmarked before the logging is started for it to be included.
The data will be ? before the test is started, if the column is removed or the popup closed.

Log

If the log checkbox in the bottom line is checked this popup will control logging and save the result, if a filename is defined and save is checkmarked.
The "Save each loop" is only used when doing multiple loops and will save a log file for each loop.

Saving

Saving

Like other advanced popups in TC, it is possible to save the settings, it is not done as part of the popup, but has its own setting in the main window.
The popup settings are not included in the "Layout", but requires selecting the "Steps" menu to save.
This will generate commands to recreate the popup with all its settings. These commands can be saved as a text file or as a menu entry for the log window.
As usual it is possible to combine commands, i.e. there is no issues coping the commands from Steps onto the end of a saved Layout.

It will look something like this:

Code:

#ShowPopupSystem Steps 62 377 800 408
#Steps S 0 1 0 0:01 0 0 Test
#Steps FN HMC8043.Output_1.Voltage 0/10.0 
#Steps FN HMC8043.Output_1.Current 0/3.0 
#Steps IL setOn(HMC8043) 0 1 0/1 7811/0 
#Steps FN HMC8043.Output_2.Voltage 0/1.0 21/5.0 4211/1.0 
#Steps FN HMC8043.Output_3.Voltage 0/1.0 21/7.0 4201/1.0 
#Steps log HMC8043.Output_2.Voltage

But can easily be much, much longer. There is a limit to how many values are listed after a command, and if more values are present the command will be added multiple times.

Scripting

This popup can be controlled with:

#SHOWPOPUPSYSTEM Steps {x y {w h}}
#STEPS S totalTime loops log interval save saveEach filename
#STEPS FN SettingName time/value time/value ...
#STEPS FL IFaceLongName min max time/value time/value ...
#STEPS FD IFaceDoubleName min max time/value time/value ...
#STEPS FS IFaceStringName length time/value "time/value" ...
#STEPS log name name ...
#STEPS Start
#CLOSEALL