Action Types¶

Every step in a scenario can have a Step Definition that describes what the test automation should do when the step runs. XPressRT provides a visual configuration panel — the Step Definition Modal — with nine built-in action types covering the most common hardware test operations.

Open a scenario in the Test-Editor.
Switch to Edit Mode.
In the Steps table, click the View Step Definition button (👁) on any step row.

The modal has two panels:

Panel	Description
Left — Step	The step text, a free-text description, and a category label
Right — Action Type	A dropdown to select the action type, followed by the action-specific configuration form

Step Definition Modal showing the Power Supply action type

Selecting an Action Type¶

Use the Action Type dropdown on the right panel to choose from the nine available types. The configuration form updates immediately. When done, click Save Implementation to write the step definition to disk.

Info

Each step definition also has a built-in Test Step button that executes only that single step in isolation — useful for verifying a configuration without running the full scenario.

Action Type Reference¶

1. Source Code (Manual Implementation)¶

Select Source Code to write or view the raw Python implementation of the step directly in the Monaco code editor. Use this for any logic that is not covered by the structured action types below.

2. Measure¶

Configures the step to take a measurement from a piece of test equipment and validate it against limits.

Measure action configuration form

Field	Description
Measurement Equipment	Select the instrument from the dropdown (populated from the connected test rig)
Measurement Type	`voltage`, `current`, or `temperature`
Measurement Channel	The specific channel or terminal on the selected instrument
Limit Min	Lower bound of the acceptable range
Limit Max	Upper bound of the acceptable range
Measurement Time	How long to sample before reading (milliseconds)
Averaging	Number of samples to average
Tags	Optional flags: `DC Voltage`, `DC Current`, `Resistance` — used for result categorisation
On Fail	`abort` — stop the scenario immediately, or `continue` — log the failure and proceed
Error Code / Message	Values reported in the test report when this step fails

3. Switch Matrix / Relay¶

Controls a relay or switch matrix to route signals on the test bench.

Field	Description
Measurement Equipment	The instrument controlling the matrix
Matrix	The matrix or module identifier
Channel	The relay channel to control
State	`on` — close the relay, `off` — open the relay
Switch Delay	Time to wait after switching before continuing (milliseconds)
On Fail	`abort` or `continue`
Error Code / Message	Reported on failure

4. Power Supply¶

Controls a benchtop power supply — voltage, current limit, and output state.

Field	Description
Measurement Equipment	The power supply instrument
Power Channel	The output channel (e.g. `power_supply1`)
Voltage	Target voltage in volts (e.g. `12.0`)
Current Limit	Maximum current in amps
State	`on` — enable the output, `off` — disable it
On Fail	`abort` or `continue`
Error Code / Message	Reported on failure

5. Wait / Delay¶

Introduces a timed pause in the test execution — useful between operations that require settling time.

Field	Description
Measurement Equipment	Optional — some delay implementations are equipment-specific
Delay Time	Duration to wait in milliseconds
On Fail	`abort` or `continue`
Error Code / Message	Reported on failure

6. Communicate¶

Sends messages over a communication bus (e.g. CAN, LIN, Ethernet) and waits for expected reactions.

Field	Description
Measurement Equipment	The communication interface
Send Messages	List of messages to transmit. Each entry has: ID, delay before sending, and message name
Expected Reactions	List of responses the test expects to receive. Each entry has: ID, delay tolerance, and message name
On Fail	`abort` or `continue`
Error Code / Message	Reported on failure

7. User Input¶

Pauses test execution and displays a prompt to the operator. Use this for manual inspection steps or decisions that cannot be automated.

Field	Description
Message	The text shown to the operator in the prompt dialog
Severity	`info` (blue), `warning` (yellow), or `error` (red) — controls the visual style of the dialog
Interaction Mode	`confirm-only` — operator clicks OK to continue, `yes-no` — operator selects Yes or No
Picture	Optional image file path shown alongside the message (e.g. a wiring diagram)
On Fail	`abort` or `continue` (applies when operator selects "No")
Error Code / Message	Reported when operator responds negatively

8. Serial Number¶

Captures or validates the serial number of the device under test.

Field	Description
Scope	`global` — one serial number per test run, `per-scenario` — each scenario records its own
Show Input Prompt	When enabled, a dialog is shown to let the operator enter the serial number manually
On Fail	`abort` or `continue`
Error Code / Message	Reported on failure

9. RPC (Remote Procedure Call)¶

Invokes a method on a registered remote device (e.g. a microcontroller running the XPress Remote library) and optionally reads its return value.

Field	Description
Measurement Equipment	The remote device identifier
RPC Method	Select from the available methods registered by that device
Dynamic Config	Key–value fields specific to the selected method (populated automatically)
On Fail	`abort` or `continue`
Error Code / Message	Reported on failure

10. Programming¶

Flashes firmware or a configuration to the device under test.

Field	Description
Programming Equipment	The programmer / flasher instrument
Firmware Path	File path to the binary or hex file to flash
On Fail	`abort` or `continue`
Error Code / Message	Reported on failure

On-Fail Behaviour¶

Every action type exposes two failure handling options:

Option	Behaviour
`abort`	The scenario stops immediately at this step. All subsequent steps are marked as Skipped.
`continue`	The failure is recorded in the report but execution continues with the next step.

Use abort when a failure at that step makes further steps meaningless or unsafe (e.g. the device is not powered). Use continue when you want to collect as much diagnostic data as possible in a single run.