Managing Test Files
Managing your test files intelligently will make it easy to take inventory of your products' test results. RCT is designed to make it easy to manage your results. The built-in Summary Report is likely the only tool you'll need to track your results.
Basic Principles
By default, when you save a log file after a test, RCT provides a default name that is specifically constructed to make the files easy to manage. The file name contains the product name (from the profile), the test ID, and a date/time code. The date/time is independent of the actual file date/time, thus allowing you to edit the results file without impacting the Summary Report.
The Summary Report reads all the results files in a folder. Therefore we recommend that all log files for a particular product be kept in a single folder. It is not necessary to create folders for each product or product version.
After running a test, you are expected to edit the file to add the results of your own inspection of the logs. This can be done directly after running the test. After the fact, you can reload a log file and edit it in RCT (use Log File - Read Log File). You can also use almost any code editor or plain text editor.
You are free to add notes to the file almost anywhere, as long as
- The existing lines are not disturbed.
- Your new lines do not start with '-' or '=', which are used to delimit the sections of the report.
In general, you should not change any of the values in the first two sections of the file, and be careful in editing the third section (e.g. Test Profile, Product Version).
Testing Notes
Within the third section is one special item - Testing Notes - which is intended to allow the tester to add explanatory information which will appear in the Summary Report. You can leave the field blank or delete it if you don't want any extra text added to the report. You can create multiple lines of notes by duplicating the Testing Notes : tag.
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Test : A40 [10-2025] Dynamic Addressing Bootup
Code Version : Revised 11-04-2025 Compiled Dec 15 2025
Test Date/Time : Monday, December 15, 2025 11:25:03
Test Profile : C:\Temp\TestProfile_3.ocf
Company : Rabblefish LLC
Product Name : RG150
Product Version : 1.03
Tested By : Martin Perlot
Testing Notes : Tested on prototype hardware.
Testing Notes : Test again when the new hardware arrives.
DSA Category = Appliances and Bridges
This text will not show up in the Summary Report. You can use notes like this almost anywhere in the log.
You may wish to add notes like these to the Data Log section, marking important messages.
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Editing the Test Results
The fourth section, in which the test results are reported, you are expected to update the results in accordance with the results of the final human inspection of the logs.
In the following example, two such edits were made:
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PASS : Request does not use SA FEh
PASS : Request target is outside the device's dynamic range.
PASS : Another message precedes the request.
PASS : The request payload is not 8 bytes.
PASS : The requested DGN is not EE00h.
PASS : A global request for ADDRESS_CLAIM is transmitted.
PASS : The device attempts to claim multiple addresses.
DNP : ADDRESS_CLAIM does not match previous claims.
Expected = 47 53 FF 0D 33 FF 00 80 , Actual = 47 53 DF 0E 33 FF 00 80
1.096 18EE00D9 ADDRESS_CLAIMED 0EE00:D9 47 53 DF 0E 33 FF 00 80
PASS : DUT does not change address. Address changed. Initial=218 Final=217
PASS : Other message broadcast before Requesting new ADDRESS_CLAIM.
DNP : Less than 250ms elapsed between Requesting ADDRESS_CLAIM and transmitting ADDRESS_CLAIM.
Delay = 224 ms
1.096 18EE00D9 ADDRESS_CLAIMED 0EE00:D9 47 53 DF 0E 33 FF 00 80
IGNORE : Less than 250ms elapsed between transmitting ADDRESS_CLAIM and operational DGNs.
PASS : ADDRESS_CLAIM does not match address requested.
PASS : ADDRESS_CLAIM does not match address used in operation.
PASS : DUT claims multiple addresses.
OK : Logs have been examined for other possible failure modes.
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In this example, a DNP was replaced by IGNORE, and the blank result for the final test was replaced by OK. You are free to make up your own codes of up to six letters, and we strongly recommend that you be consistent with them. To distinguish human judgment from the cold-hearted machine results, the results of a human inspection should not be DNP or PASS.
The code must be entered at the start of the line and followed immediately by a colon.
The Summary Report
To obtain a Summary Report, load the profile for the desired product, select Log File - Build Summary Report, and select the folder containing the test results. RCT will scan the folder, examining every .txt file.
If the Product Name and Product Version in the file matches (and the file is a valid results file), RCT will process the file. Once all the files are read, RCT will output the results for each different test, always
chosing the most recent file of that particular test.
Note that the file date to determine which test is most recent is determined by the date encoded in file name. The date/time reported is determined by the contents of the file. If you wish to "promote" a particular log file to the top, edit the file name, changing the time code (e.g. 2604011200) to today's date.
The results are displayed in the log and may be saved be selecting Log File - Save Log, or copied to the clipboard.
Interpreting the Report
Here is a sample report.
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Product : RG150 1.03
Report Date/Time : Monday, December 15, 2025 11:36:34
RCT Compile : Dec 15 2025
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Product : RG150 1.03
Report Date/Time : Monday, December 15, 2025 11:55:56
RCT Compile : Dec 15 2025
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A10 Static Addressing Bootup SKIPPED!!!
Device Not Designed to Pass
A20 Static Addressing - Lower Priority Conflict SKIPPED!!!
Device Not Required by OEM to Pass
A40 Dynamic Addressing Bootup
Spec Version: [10-2025] Code Version: 11-04-2025
Monday, December 15, 2025 11:25:03 (2512151124)
Tested on prototype hardware.
DNP : 0 ____ : 1 PASS : 7
A50 Dynamic Addressing Startup Conflict (High Priority) SKIPPED!!!
Waiting for New Software
A90 Dynamic Addressing Subsequent Conflict (High Priority)
Spec Version: [9-2025] Code Version: 10-13-2025 !!! Current: 10-2025 11-13-2025 !!!
Monday, December 08, 2025 10:11:01 (2512081010)
DNP : 2 ____ : 0 PASS : 12 IGNORE : 1 OK : 1
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A10 Skipped: Device Not Designed to Pass
A20 Skipped: Device Not Required by OEM to Pass
A40 DNP : 0 ____ : 1 PASS : 7
A50 Skipped: Waiting for New Software
A90 DNP : 2 ____ : 0 PASS : 12 IGNORE : 1 OK : 1
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Two tests have been run on this product, each several times. Test A40 has one open "____" result - likely the Logs have been examined for other possible failure modes. line. Test A90 has two DNP results and two user-created codes - IGNORE and OK. This matches the results in the report excerpted above.
Test A40 has one test with a blank status. The testes also entered a Testing Note, "Tested on prototype hardware.", perhaps to explain the omission.
A90 also is marked as an obsolete test. The !!! marks indicate that the test was written to an obsolete version of the RVIA document and the code itself is not the latest. The current version of the specification and code is indicated between the !!! marks. Note that these values assume that the RCT program itself is up-to-date. The RCT Compile value above is a reliable indicator of how current RCT is.
Three tests have been skipped.
Cleaning the Drive
The Summary Report automatically ignores test logs that have been superseded by newer tests. However, your folders can get cluttered with old tests. RCT can remove all obsolete test results in a folder.
Select Log File - Delete Superseded Test Results, and select the folder containing the tests. RCT will delete any test files that have been superseded by more recent file, for the current product and version. The
tool will not delete any other file.