Test automation configuration has never been easier. Test SLATE enables the user to quickly and easily build even the most complex test sequences for automated or manual operation. Test SLATE provides numerous features, each containing a high level of configurability. This configurability gives Test SLATE the power for you to define a sophisticated test system specific for your needs. The major features of Test SLATE fit in the following categories:

• Intelligent Test Automation
• Interactive User Controls and Displays
• Easy, Multi-Vendor Hardware Integration
• Integrated Productivity Tools

These feature categories are discussed further in the following portions of this documentation and in the extensive on-line HELP documentation provided with each licensed copy of the software.

Intelligent Test Automation

Test automation configuration has never been easier. Test SLATE enables the user to quickly and easily build even the most complex test sequences for automated or manual operation.

Test SLATE Automated Test Sequencer

The Test Sequence builder enables the user to configure test sequences to fit specific test applications. The user can define a variety of conditions or events to trigger data storage or other actions. Example configurable items in the test sequence builder include facility or test article setpoints; time to remain at each step; the number of data points to be taken or duration of data storage at each step/sequence; and the conditions or events causing a transition to the next step/sequence. Test SLATE's test sequencer provides multiple analog and digital setpoint generation through profile plots or alphanumeric spreadsheet-type interfaces. Analog setpoints can be generated for internal PID loop control or for output to an external controller.

Programmable branching logic is included to provide automated intelligence for performing or jumping to other steps or sequences as test variations occur. The test sequencer also provides the capability to perform various functions per step, including alarm/trip checking, PID gain scheduling, pauses, operator messages with optional required response, tag stability with multiple logic conditions and a transfer on-step stability failure, data acquisition criteria with multiple data stability logic conditions, display of any recognized file with automatic removal, and automated reports.

The test sequencer features three nested tiers of test sequences to provide for endurance or repetitive test cycling. A nested tier of sequences is referred to as a Test Schedule, and a nested tier of Test Schedules is referred to as a Test Agenda. Test sequencing messages are stored to a log file for later analysis.

Test SLATE Alarm and Trip Detection

Test SLATE provides four levels of windowing alarms/trips with optional operator acknowledgment, two levels of rate of change alarms/trips with optional operator acknowledgment, and alarms/trips based on the variance of a group of analog type tags. Test SLATE also has the ability to alarm/trip digital input tags with optional operator acknowledgment. Digital outputs can be set on any alarm or trip to signal alarm horns, lights, or other logic devices that a fault condition exists. Tags in an alarm or trip state will change to user-defined colors on all displays. Operator messages are generated when an alarm or trip condition changes. Alarms or trips can also be used by the Test Sequencer to cause automatic jumps to shutdown or other sequences in the event of a fault condition.

Test SLATE Data Storage

Test SLATE can support multiple data files that are configured independently. Each data file can store data at different rates, durations, and averaging times. One data file is used as a log file and contains data from the total test length. This allows the capture of data independent of the sequence that is running. There is also a burst data file that can be triggered to take a high rate of data for a specified period of time. This may happen many times during a test. There are also regular data files that are configured and defined independently to allow the flexibility of taking different sets of data at differing rates. All test data is stored in a binary format for maximum speed; each data sample is time-stamped. After the data acquisition period is elapsed, the binary data will be processed, time-aligned, stored into a file, and made available to the local archive import/export software. Data storage can be initiated automatically by a test sequence based on conditional criteria or initiated manually by a user clicking a button on the test execution display.

Interactive User Controls and Displays

Test SLATE Displays

Test SLATE's Display Definition functions enable the user to select from multiple display-window templates and to configure each display with any I/O channel or calculated tag. Display windows consist of combinations of alphanumeric text, graphic trend plots, and analog gages and meters. Specialized planar displays are available to display pressure or temperature gradients across a test surface in real time.

Test SLATE also provides free-format, user-definable displays through a drag-and-drop graphics editor that is integrated seamlessly with the active tag editor. An almost unlimited number of each display window types can exist for each configuration. At any time – whether before, during, or after a test – a user may configure new displays or modify existing displays. Custom displays for facility control or other purposes can be developed for each application.

Test SLATE Diagnostic Displays

Diagnostic displays provide the capability to isolate problems using internal calibration methods to verify/checkout hardware and provide software tools to display raw inputs as well as engineering unit data. These features are important to avoid costly downtime and excessive operational complexities. Test SLATE's diagnostic capabilities enable the user to view all values for analog input, digital input, analog output, digital output, frequency input, and calculated tags. Test SLATE also provides control of analog output and digital output tags and reports the status of all tags (i.e., high trip, high alarm, low alarm, low trip, etc.). In addition, an X-Y graph illustrates analog inputs to display counts/volts/EUD simultaneously.

Test SLATE Reports and Plots

Test SLATE supplies standard plots and reports that have been included for post-test analysis. These plots and reports may be printed anytime after the test. In addition, automated reports or plots can be generated during test sequencing or at the end of test and exported as a spreadsheet, when requested. The data starting and ending times may be selected to provide the user with further control over which data is reported and/or plotted to hard-copy output. Conversion of stored data to a spreadsheet readable file is also available.

Test SLATE Test Initialization Forms

Test SLATE enables the user to develop test initialization forms. The test initialization form allows the storage and printing of user-specified information with the test data. The Test Initialization window is displayed to the test operator when a test is initialized. The standard initialization window contains information about the test itself, such as run number, test number, test engineer, and test operator, etc.

Test SLATE Message Logging

Test SLATE keeps a log of messages in files that can be viewed through the Test SLATE application. Messages can contain information, warnings, and errors that are reported by various components of the system (i.e., drivers, Test SLATE menus, and Test SLATE background processes, etc.). Each entry in the log file contains the severity of the message (i.e., information, warning, or error), the date and time of occurrence, the source of the message, the numeric message code, and the text message associated with the error code. The message files can be saved and viewed at a later time; messages are never overwritten (i.e., no ring buffer). The user can filter the messages by selecting options from a message filter dialog box available from the Message Log display.

Test SLATE OPC Data Server

Test SLATE can be configured to act as a data supplier using standard OPC protocol, enabling any off-the-shelf data display or analysis package to be a client to active Test SLATE tags such as analog measurements or calculated values. Standard HMI packages enable the user to define custom displays or analyses with the software tool of choice as long as it is OPC compliant. The need to have programming skills to customize is eliminated, and the user is able to implement user interface displays as simple or as complex as needed. This also enables other OPC compliant software packages, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC), to share real-time access to any measurement or control tag in the Test SLATE configuration.

Test SLATE Control Loops

Test SLATE features user-definable PID loops and control loop tuning/troubleshooting tools. In-test controls are provided for the transfer between automatic, semi-automatic, and manual modes. The user can define PID loops attributes, such as loop type (e.g., open and closed), loop activation tag, loop disabled tag, output tag, and feedback tag. Depending on the hardware being used in the application, sophisticated or high-speed PID controls may be implemented with external hardware and coordinated through Test SLATE.

Easy, Multi-Vendor Hardware Integration

This Windows®-based, highly flexible, test measurement and control software requires no proprietary hardware and works with nearly any control or measurement device or system, regardless of make or model. Test SLATE enables the user to seamlessly integrate old and new hardware – even custom legacy components – to make test control, data acquisition, and analysis simple, effective, and efficient.

Test SLATE Hardware Interfaces

The ability to simultaneously gather data from a wide range of hardware devices and manufacturers is a key strength of Test SLATE. Nearly all the standard interface protocols have been used with Test SLATE, including Ethernet, Reflective Memory, GPIB, SCSI, RS-232, RS-422, ControlNet, and many others.

Hardware systems typically require an interface driver to be developed by Jacobs to connect to the Test SLATE configuration and run-time operations. However, many common hardware platforms – including those from National Instruments, VXI Technology, Pressure Systems Inc., Scanivalve, and Pacific Instruments, to name just a few – are already in the Test SLATE library. To see if an up-to-date interface driver exists for hardware you have or are interested in using, please contact Jacobs. Adding these interface drivers can take from a few days to a few weeks and are often simple enough that many customers have performed this on their own given our templates and examples.

Hardware systems show up as Subsystems on the Test SLATE Systems Explorer tree-like user interface. Attributes that are hardware specific such as chassis, slots, channels, and other related configuration items are easily accessed and configured through the Explorer tree.

Many new hardware systems are provided with or are compatible with industry standard OPC communications protocol. OPC-based systems provide easy connectivity to Test SLATE with no programming involved. Often times, custom legacy software code can be encapsulated in an OPC wrapper to enable the user to retain your original software development investment while making it compatible with Test SLATE with minimal effort.

Test SLATE Sensor Database

For I/O subsystems that provide Test SLATE with data in the form of counts or millivolts, the Sensor Database is used to configure engineering unit conversions, units, sensor identification information, and sensor calibration data, etc. for each frequency and analog input sensor. Conversion support for up to a 14th order polynomial, platinum RTD, and B, E, J, K, N, R, S, and T type thermocouples is provided. Thermocouple conversions are based on NIST Monograph 175 polynomials. An optional 14th order polynomial correction is provided for thermocouples.

A common Sensor Database for all configurations ensures the latest calibration information is used regardless of which configuration is currently in use.

Integrated Productivity Tools

Test SLATE's integrated productivity tools enable the user to quickly configure utilities and perform end-to-end calibrations for any I/O channel as well as easily store and share test data with their project team.

Test SLATE Tag Configuration

Tag Configuration utilities for each measurement or control device enable you to configure each tag name. The capability to add, delete, modify, copy, or print any I/O channel information allows complete test configuration control. Information associated with I/O channels includes channel name, units, sensor name, and display precision, etc.

Test SLATE Calculated Tag Configuration

Test SLATE has several calculated tag configuration utilities. A flexible Calculated Tag Equation Builder is used to create custom formulas using any tag in the system in conjunction with standard mathematical operators, trigonometric functions, Boolean operators, and logarithmic functions with no programming required. Calculations are performed in real-time with the values available for display, storage, and additional calculations. A Statistics Builder is available to calculate the mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, and variance, etc. of any tag in the system. Timer and counter routines are also included.

Test SLATE End-to-End Calibration

Calibration functions include the capability to perform end-to-end calibrations on any analog input or frequency input I/O channel. In-place sensor calibration with up to 50 stimulus points can be used to generate up to a 14th order polynomial curve fit for low-level to engineering unit data conversions. User definable groupings are allowed so like sensors can be calibrated simultaneously. As-found calibration polynomial evaluations are provided to determine if sensors are experiencing abnormal drift. Optional reports and plots can be generated with a newly accepted calibration, and the Sensor Database is automatically updated. Test SLATE's calibration also includes the ability to initiate I/O subsystem specific self-calibrations, if available. These may include millivolt insertion calibrations or system pressure calibrations.

Test SLATE Security

Test SLATE has the capability to define unique user roles. Each role can contain any number of combinations of allowable functions which enable the fine tuning of the user capabilities.

Each role is defined as having certain capabilities within the application; for example, Role1 might have privileges including running a test, while Role2 might have privileges to only view data. The security information is accessed and assigned through the Test SLATE application by anyone who is assigned an Administration Role.