Can TestStand Call 64-Bit Code Modules?

If you are using 32-bit TestStand, you can implement workarounds taking advantage of inter-process communication that allow a 32-bit TestStand process to call into a separate 64-bit process to execute 64-bit code. National Instruments has identified a few potential workarounds for calling 64-bit code modules from 32-bit versions of TestStand. Examples of these workarounds are provided in this article below. If you have further questions regarding TestStand calling 64-bit code modules, please contact National Instruments Support.

Note: All examples listed below contain sequence files that can be opened in TestStand 4.0 and newer versions of TestStand, however, the LabWindows/CVI ActiveX Server example and the ATL COM Server example will need to be run in TestStand 4.2 (or a newer version) in order for the 64-bit servers to be available in the TestStand ActiveX/COM Adapter. If you need to use these two examples in a TestStand version previous to TestStand 4.2, please contact National Instruments Support, but keep in mind that the earliest version of TestStand officially supported on Windows 7 x64 operating systems is TestStand 4.2.1.

You can use remote sequence execution to execute a sequence in 64-bit TestStand from a sequence running in 32-bit TestStand. This allows you to directly execute 64-bit code modules in the subsequence. For additional information about this approach, please see KnowledgeBase 6NRC0BDT: Executing Cross-Bitness Sequence Calls in TestStand. Note that both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the TestStand Engine must be installed on the computer for cross-bitness remote sequence execution to work properly.

Calling 64-bit LabVIEW VIs
For information on calling VIs created in LabVIEW 64-bit from 32-bit TestStand, please visit KnowledgeBase 6O0C3LDT: Using TestStand 2014 or Later with LabVIEW 64-bit or KnowledgeBase 50O9851O: Using TestStand 2013 and Previous with LabVIEW 64-bit, depending on the version of TestStand you are using.

Calling 64-bit .NET Assemblies via .NET Remoting
Download the attached example: TestStand Calling 64-Bit Assembly Using .NET Remoting.zip.

Be sure to read the ReadMe.txt file provided in the example zip file for an explanation of how this example is implemented. Once you’ve looked through the ReadMe, run the MainSequence of the Test DNRemoting 64-Bit Assembly Call.seq sequence file.

Calling 64-bit C DLLs via a LabWindows/CVI ActiveX Server
Download the attached example: TestStand Calling 64-Bit C DLL Using CVI ActiveX Server.zip.

Be sure to read the ReadMe.txt file provided in the example zip file for an explanation of how this example is implemented. Once you’ve looked through the ReadMe, register the ActiveX Server (instructions in the ReadMe) and run the MainSequence of the Call 64Bit Code.seq sequence file.

Calling 64-bit C/C++ DLLs via an ATL COM Server
Download the attached example: TestStand Calling 64-Bit C or C++ DLL Using COM Server.zip.

Be sure to read the ReadMe.txt file provided in the example zip file for an explanation of how this example is implemented. Once you have looked through the ReadMe, register the COM Server (instructions in the ReadMe) and run the MainSequence of the Call 64Bit Code From COM Server.seq sequence file.