The graphical programming software test.con now has its own documentation website. All Test Controllers of the company Gantner Instruments with the final designation …T, as f.e. Q.station 101DT or Q.gate IPT are programmed with this software. test.con is based on simple technical signs and symbols, which can be recognized easily by engineers and technicians. These signs and symbols are represented as function blocks. No programming language has to be learned to program a Controller. By connecting the function blocks, a function block network is developed and translated into a machine-readable network description and loaded into the controller.

Learn graphical programming in test.con with tutorials

The videos, which can be found on www.testcon.info are there for audiovisual help. On the one hand, there are introduction tutorials for the graphical programming software test.con and the Q.station. On the other hand, further hardware or software related topics are discussed. By watching the tutorials, a basic knowledge is developed with which the controller can be programmed. test.con programming elements such as function blocks, user interface as well as classes and instances and libraries are explained. In the introduction video, the user space application for programming a display and a real-time application are introduced and shown.

For help, questions and suggestions: A moderated discussion forum

New is also the moderated discussion forum. Specific questions and problems are answered quickly by the support team. In that way, other test.con users can profit from known issues and their solutions. By using the forum’s search function, threads and posts can be found, which might be useful for the user. Furthermore there is the possibility to share experiences and examples with other test.con users in German or English. Strategically the forum is divided into the sections Mixed, Hardware and Software.

Documentation records about test.con online

All documentation is now not only available as online help in the programming system test.con, but it can also be called online. Users can learn about the theoretical background of graphical programming, read about basic functions and elements in the test.con manual and watch tutorials. A Step-by-Step introduction can be found as video tutorial and as text document in the documents section. By using the website’s search function the user can find help about f. e. specific function blocks. Flaws in the documentation can also continuously be improved and updated, not least because of the user’s help in the discussion forum. These measures are taken so users will have quick access into graphical programming, because nothing is more frustrating than outdated, complicated documentation.

Application examples

In this section user-specific examples can be found. Some function blocks as the RS232 Communication on Q.station or the PID controller are further explained. In another example, a protocol about the On-board Diagnostics Interface (OBD2) is introduced. The OBD2 protocol is used in automotive industry. It grants access to emission-related measuring channels of the engine control unit, as f. e. water temperature, rotational speed, ignition timing and injection amount. Another application example refers to the Page Flow Diagram, with which the display of a Q.station can be programmed. The section Application Examples is still being extended and updated, it should help users to find new ideas and impulses.