For self-guided learning and troubleshooting the user guide within EDM applications is a great tool

User Guide

New Test Wizard

Includes physical testing type and setup information

Configuration

Includes testing configuration & control as well as trigger action and test reporting

Hardware

Includes Input channel & Spider System Setup

Display

Test drive and control profile as well as Time and Frequency domain results

Signals

Includes measurement and data collection setup and processing/filtering

Similar to a “file” tab commonly found in other software. The test dropdown box gives options to create new tests, open previous tests, import test files, save and export tests.

Provides much of the same accessibility as the ribbon. Select Hardware Test Configurations Signals and Input channels will be discussed in the ribbon. The Test Sequence tab allows the user to customize testing options related to running multiple sequential tests. Black Box mode allows for multiple tests to be uploaded to the spider front-end so that they can be conducted when offline in the future. Additionally, EDM extensions are found in the Setup tab.

Gives the user options related to conducting and saving the tests.

Gives users available display options. Creating and saving windows default displays and a few unique commands. Search resonance is useful for tests such as sine sweep and broadband random testing. Lissajous plots can be useful plotting two periodic signals against each other.

Organizational tools for displaying data, tiling the plots to the desired sections as well as providing functionality for exporting and importing tabs.

Tools menu gives access to hardware testing options and configurations as well as global settings menu and User notes.

Information is additionally covered in Hardware

Generates report of selected results or parameters, a word document with the relevant information will open and save.

Reports can also be generated based through the run schedule

Very useful tool for contacting support staff and providing necessary information.

CI Tech Support

Displays available devices for connection & relevant connection settings

Connects to testing configurations menu; the same destination as through the control panel and Setup → Test Configuration; Configuration

Further explained in testing signals setup Signals

Inputs menu allows toggling of channels and configuration to meet sensor requirements

Gives user overview of test setup and pre-check parameters. Checklist will automatically be displayed after clicking run as a final confirmation before test run schedule begins.

Opens the Generate Report menu. Options include signal choice/selection, template, and run selection. Clicking Ok will automatically generate a report.

Opens to Global Settings, same as Tools → Global settings

Includes options for Engineering units, software appearance, plot properties, run folders and more.

Further discussion of Test & signal tabs within VCS UI Signals Tab

Recent Tests Terminal: Tests can be opened or created from this page and quickly accessed through recent test display. Test groups allow additional functionality for running sequential tests.

Signal Terminal: Contains all active signals within testing, including block and processed data.

VCS UI Signals Display

The signal display window is useful for live control monitoring, data acquisition in real time, comparing data to industry standards, processing data to fit your testing requirements, report generation and more.

Gives user control over testing run. VCS UI Config