Debugging Tests Using PAcontroller

PAtools Battery Software Suite provides an application-specific user interface in PAcontroller that allows you to parameterize and control your tests. Use the interface to load and unload tests, select test bench hardware, and configure DUT limits.

The interface also provides a real-time status overview of the battery pack, cell, or module, and you can view and acknowledge critical messages for your tests.

Viewing Messages

The software displays errors, warnings, and informational messages in the Message window of PAcontroller.

The message system displays messages of the test and its test components. The messages in the message system are separated into three categories:

  • Errors
  • Warnings
  • Information

Each message is displayed only once; if the same message is posted again while the first message has not yet been confirmed only the first message is shown.

If an error message or a warning occurs due to an error in the application, you must acknowledge the message. If an error or warning message exists, the message prevents the system from being operable until you remove the cause for this message.

Finding the Origin of the Messages

Messages are sent by the program in which they originate, which may include Monitorings, PAbasic, PAscript, or PAgraph programs.

Each program has at least one table where all messages that this program can show are stored. Each message has a unique number as identifier.

You can find the origin of the message with the name of the program, the name of the table, and this unique identifier.

On the Message tab in the add-on userbox, click the gear button to display the extended message window. Here you can view the time, date, and source of the message.

Activating or Deactivating Messages

You can prevent messages from being sent in cases where you are missing a device that may interfere with the operation.

You can enable and disable messages when the test is running. The system decides which messages you can deactivate during runtime and which messages always appear.

On the Message config tab of the userbox, select a message from the list, then click On to keep the message activated or Off to deactivate the message.

Note If you deactivate a message it does not generate even if the message is pending. The configuration in the message table determines whether or not you can deactivate a message and edit it in the userbox. If you do not change the configuration, by default you cannot deactivate messages.

Retrieving Messages

Messages that are displayed in the message system are additionally added to log files located on the PCU. The following logbooks contain output of the test (an X at the end of a directory name must be replaced by the index used for the runtime system).

Table 25. Message Log File Locations
Logbook Directory Default Name Comments
Test log vspX <test name>.log Contains the output of the base modules and test case.
PAmodule logs logapplX <Module name>.log Contains the output of the PAmodules.
Test component logs logapplX\cmp\<test component name> <test component name>.log N/A

Acknowledging Messages

Important You must acknowledge error messages and remove them from the message system, otherwise the system is not operable.

To acknowledge messages, click the button in PAcontroller. If you do not fix the reason for the error, the message appears again in the message system. When you remove the cause for the message, the message is deleted.

After you confirm an error message, you must click Switch On to establish a connection to all devices and activate all monitoring.