TestStand, (part 1 - Introduction)

As part of a project I'm heavily invested in right now, I started learning NI TestStand last fall.  My next few posts will be about that experience and my impressions of TestStand.

Introduction

My previous experience with TestStand dates back to early 2008.  My company was in discussions with Averna about their Proligent software, which is written to work hand in hand with TestStand. So I talked with the sales guys, read the white papers, and tried out the demo.  My impression of Proligent (and TestStand) was that they were designed for large companies with large automation needs.  We were a startup, so I respectfully declined.

Two years and one company later, I reconsidered TestStand.  I had a big program starting up and had no desire to create a test executive from scratch, especially not one with the complicated requirements I needed.  After some research and discussions with the other members of the group, I bought it and learned how to use it.

Over the next few posts I'll talk about a) how I learned TestStand, b) my experiences with it over the past few months, and c) how suited I think it is to small companies (like mine).  I'm also thinking about getting the Certified TestStand Developer certification to go along with my CLD for LabVIEW.  If I ever do, I'll surely blog about that as well.