MTS Series 793 Application - Manual (Page 45)

Considerations for Test Design and Execution
MTS MultiPurpose TestWare® Performing Common Tasks 45
Considerations for Test Design and Execution
Undesirable latencies
in test procedures
One consideration of test procedure design is the potential for undesirable
latencies between test activities. There is, of course, a certain amount of latency
between test activities due to intra-system communication which cannot be
avoided. Latencies beyond this though, may be undesirable for some tests,
especially if your test involves rapid switching between test activities of short
durations. The way you design test procedures and manage the execution of test
procedures can minimize unwanted latencies.
Design tests to
minimize undesirable
latencies
If your command waveform is all in the same control mode, it is best to design
your test using a Profile file, and run the Profile file with the MPT Profile
process.
You create a Profile file with a spreadsheet application or the MTS Model 793.11
Profile Editor application. A Profile file consists of a series of segments. When
MPT runs the segments within a Profile file they are not vulnerable to delays (as
compared to executing a series of individual MPT command processes). MPT
queues multiple rows of the Profile file to the segment generator simultaneously,
and if you specify multiple passes, the output proceeds with the next pass without
delay.
Other considerations
to minimize
undesirable latencies
Many tests, of course, require control mode changes in the command waveform.
In this case, you must choose individual MPT command processes as required,
and assign triggers to link their execution.
Triggering from one MPT process to the next occurs on the Microsoft Windows
workstation, which makes them vulnerable to undesirable latencies due to other
activity on the workstation. Likely candidates include networking, video drivers
without adequate hardware acceleration, and other communication with the
controller, including running other test stations simultaneously.
To reduce unwanted latencies in this scenario, minimize operations involving the
Microsoft Windows operating system while your test is running.
Avoid the use of third
party software
MTS also recommends that you avoid running third-party software applications,
including virus-checking software, when running any of the MTS 793 software
applications. Testing has revealed that some third-party software can consume
the majority of the PC is available processing power. These applications, if run
along with MTS 793 software applications, may cause communication with the
controller to cease. Ultimately, this causes the station and applications on it to
terminate.