MTS TW Elite - Manual (Page 96)

Resource Basics
With the TWE application, you create test designs which cause resources (such as valve drivers, control
modes, sensors, digital inputs, and so on) to apply desired forces to your test specimen.
For example, suppose you design a test to apply a tensile force to your specimen and receive a digital
pulse when the specimen fails. When you run the test, the controller uses a control channel with a force
control mode resource to apply the tensile force to the specimen, and a digital input resource to receive
the digital pulse.
Controller resources
A controller resource refers to a resource in the controller as it appears in a station configuration file. For
example, a control mode in a station configuration file named “axial force” is a station resource.
Test resources
A test resource refers to a resource with equivalent functionality as it appears in the test definition. For
example, a control mode in a test definition named “load 1” is a test resource. You can use test resources
for various test elements, such as activities, runtime display devices, and variables.
Resource mapping
A test resource is not required to have the same name as the equivalent controller resource. However, if
the names are different when the TWE application connects to the controller, you must map the test
resource to the equivalent controller resource.
For example, suppose you design a test offline in which you name a control mode “load 1”. Later, you
connect to a controller in which the equivalent resource is named “axial force”. This mismatch of resources
creates a resource validation error. To resolve this error, you must map the test resource to the controller
resource.
Connecting to a Controller
Controller resources are available to the TWE application through station configuration files. Before you
start the TWE application, you typically start the 793 Station Manager application and open a station
configuration file first. When you start the TWE application, it automatically connects to the station
configuration, which allows you to design tests with the resources in the station configuration. You can
also create a desktop shortcut that will open the 793 Station Manager application and then open the TWE
application. For more information about creating that shortcut, see
Creating a Desktop Shortcut That
Includes a Controller (p. 98).
96 | MTS TestSuite
Working with MTS FlexTest Resources