Automation Desk 3.3 Tool Set - Test Automation Software P.BALAJI Software Engineer L&T IES, Mumbai Content ▪ Definition & Objective ▪ User interface of Automation Desk ▪ Various Blocks inside the Automation Desk ▪ Creation and Execution of Automation Test Project ▪ Features ▪ Limitations of Automation blocks ▪ Definition & Objective Automation Desk is an environment for organizing and creating automation tasks. It provides a graphical editor for describing control flows and parameterizing them. Python-based real-time test automation i.e.. it Uses Python Scripting for algorithms and to build blocks e.g. Complex algorithms and API Calls. Provides different sub libraries in a graphical view according to their Field of Application and located in the library Browser . It is a powerful front-end tool for automated hardware-in-the- loop (HIL) testing of the application software or diagnostic functions of electronic control units (ECUs). ▪ User interface of Automation Desk ▪ Various Blocks inside the Automation Desk ▪ Main library– Control Flows, Basic Elements and Python Data Objects. ▪ Report library : To add Text,2-D plots, images, Tables, Data objects, Hyperlinks(URL). ▪ Dialogs library : contains input and message dialogs Input dialog- To input data during the execution of your automation task. Message dialog- To control your test automation task with a control button click . Platform Access used to access a simulation platform Configure the simulation platform Read /write data from /to the variable of the simulator Capture data from real Time application and stream the data to Hard disk Generate stimulus signals. HIL API Libraries This supports the MA (Model access) Port implementation of the HIL API standard to access a simulation platform RS232 library Connecting the automation desk to Serial Interface(RS232) . Remote Diagnostics(COM) To perform diagnostics on an electronic control unit (ECU) remotely via COM/DCOM interfaces. This tool accesses the diagnostic tools that support the ASAM MCD- 3 D 2.0.1 standard. for example, Control Desk Next Generation with installed Control Desk Next Generation ECU Diagnostics Module. Remote Calibration To control ASAM MCD-3 MC-compatible measurement and calibration (MC) systems remotely via the standard serial (RS232) interface. Remote Calibration(COM) To control ASAM MCD-3 MC-compatible measurement and calibration (MC) systems remotely via the standard serial (RS232) interface via COM/DCOM interfaces. Failure Simulation Access To realize failure simulation on special dSPACE hardware. MATLAB Access Open the Matlab instance and execute the commands in the MATLAB via automation desk Exchange the data between Automation desk and Matlab Work with data stored in the MAT file Format . Test Framework This provides high-level automation blocks with predefined functionalities for test purposes. Real-Time Testing Automation Desk provides the Real-Time Testing library to manage Real-Time Testing (RTT) projects on dSPACE real-time platforms. CANscope To remote control the CANscope Evaluation software (version 3.0). CANscope is a hardware device for CAN buses from Vector Informatik GmbH. It records and evaluate signal levels on CAN buses. CANstress To remote control the CANstressD/CANstressDR Configuration software (version 2.1). CANstressD and CANstressDR are devices form Vector Informatik GmbH which can initiate digital disturbances on the CAN bus. Custom library To integrate user-defined automation blocks in Automation Desk The libraries that we created linked to the Automation Desk Project statically or dynamically In static link mode ,the libraries loaded from the repository (via Get or Check Out) have no effect on your opened Automation Desk projects until you synchronize. in Dynamic link mode, modifications in the libraries loaded from the repository have an immediate effect on your opened Automation Desk projects. Only the interfaces must be synchronized manually. ▪ Version Management control The check out state of a project element is displayed via various check marks with the version control and it is as follows . ▪ Creation and Execution of Automation Test Project From the menu bar, choose File - New - Project to open the New Project dialog and select the standard project by default and click on browse button to save the project Add a New Folder to the project and rename to the Type of Tests (Functional ,Interlocks ,Calibration ,Diagnostics) by simple right click on the project folder . Add the Data objects from the drop down menu list, once we do right click on the Project Folder or the sub folders Create a New Test sequence (rename is optional) to add the Test blocks by drag & drop from the Library Browser All the blocks which are added in sequential or Concurrent (Parallel) are arranged and shown in the sequence Hierarchy in the Navigation window . After Completion of Test case scripting ,go to Menu bar and select Execute from the Execution tab in the drop down list to run either in Online or Offline to generate the Test Report in both HTML and PDF. ▪ Features • Remote control of calibration, measurement, and diagnostic tools such as Control Desk® Next Generation • Flexible test planning with weekend and overnight tests • Offline test execution and development • Debugger • Complex signal evaluations • Automatic report generation • Support of HIL API-based simulator access • Advanced custom library concept with Version Control Management. ▪ Limitations of Automation blocks Main library The maximum number of characters to be used with a String data object is 65536. Python allows a tuple to be used as a dictionary key value. In RS232Configuration or a Collector data object, must not be added to a collection-type data object, like a list, tuple or dictionary. we can append only Python standard types (int, float, list, tuple, etc.) to a collection-type data object. Not permitted operations in the Exec block Never assign objects and values to members of objects of the internal Automation Desk object model. The internal member will be overwritten. For ex: _AD_.Parent = 5 (Parent is an internal member) Never assign instances that contain unpickleable objects (for example, COM or OS objects such as rtplib.Appl, cdautomationlib.Application) to a data object's value. Ex: import cdautomationlib AD_.Variant1 = cdautomationlib.Application() Error : <class 'cPickle.PicklingError'>: Can't pickle <type 'PyIDispatch'>: attribute lookup __builtin__.PyIDispatch failed Never assign instances of classes that are defined in Exec/ExecFile blocks to a data object's value such as a Variant or an element of a List, Tuple or Dictionary. Example: class A: def __init__(self, aName): self.MyName = aName myInstanceOfA = A("The New Instance Name") _AD_.Variant1 = myInstanceOfA Platform Access library Using sdmlib functions in Exec blocks It is not possible to use sdmlib functions(to generate stimulus signals) in an Exec block, because the SIGNAL object cannot be created. An Attribute Error will be displayed. Parameters in masked subsystems are not updated in Control Desk When writing mask and workspace parameters using rtplib functions, Control Desk does not notice modifications to these parameters itself, although the effects of such modifications are reported. Simulink model must be stopped before using extended capturing blocks You must stop a Simulink model before you can execute an InitCapture or ConfigureCapture block. Platform access in Parallel blocks It is recommended not to use Platform Access blocks in Parallel blocks if there are dependencies between the blocks. Considering initialization time It is recommended to use a LoadVariableFile block always otherwise we have to consider the required time for initializing the capture process LoadApplication event in ControlDesk is not executed The LoadVariableFile block is directly accessing ControlDesk's PlatformManager without using the implementation of ControlDesk's event handling when load application event in control desk is not executed. Example : Access the PlatformManager via cdautomationlib in an Exec block import cdautomationlib app = cdautomationlib. PlatformManager() app.Platforms.Item(<Index>).Load(<Variable File>) app = None