In addition to following common approaches to debug components of a TestStand test program, consider the following additional approaches to debug components of a TSM test program

Sequence Execution

Sequences can be in a running or suspended testing state. Testing is running when continuously testing DUTs. When testing is running, each test socket is executing tests for one DUT. Testing is suspended when one or more TestStand test socket executions are suspended at a breakpoint. One test socket can be suspended while other test sockets are running. The background of the Execution window changes to yellow to indicate that the execution is suspended. You can examine sequence variables only in executions that are suspended.

Pausing a lot does not suspend executions the way using the default TestStand Sequence Editor Debug » Break or Break All menu items do. When you pause a lot with the Pause button, testing continues until each site completes testing its current DUT. The executions then wait for operator input before sending the End of Test signal to the handler or prober and proceeding with testing the next batch of DUTs. To suspend test socket executions to examine variables or to step into code modules, set a breakpoint on the step where you want to suspend. You cannot examine variables in the sequence editor for executions that are not suspended, even if they are paused between DUTs.

Use the following techniques to debug TSM sequence execution:

• Use TSM Toolbar —Use the TSM toolbar buttons to control execution and view lot statistics while debugging a sequence. Avoid using the default TestStand Sequence Editor Debug » Terminate, Terminate All, Abort, and Abort All menu items because they might not clean up and close instrument sessions correctly.
• Step Into TSM Steps—For Semiconductor Multi Test and Semiconductor Action steps that execute test code for multiple sites, the test sockets for all the sites that the step is testing must be suspended at the same step before you can use the Step Into Debug menu item or toolbar button. For LabVIEW 2020 and newer, when you step into a VI from TestStand and click Run, TSM opens the block diagram, suspends execution on the first node, and automatically enables Retain Wire Values. You can also edit the executing VI in LabVIEW and continue execution of the lot in TestStand.

Lot Statistics Viewer

To monitor the bin counts for each site while testing in the sequence editor, use the Lot Statistics Viewer, in which you can view lot statistics while running or debugging a sequence in the sequence editor. You can also control test program execution in the Lot Statistics Viewer.

Simulated Handler or Prober

When developing, testing, or debugging a semiconductor test program, the test developer might not have access to a real handler or prober. In such cases, the test developer can use the NI Built-in Simulated Handler Driver to verify that the test program behaves correctly without a handler or prober.