Material testing system with customizable data parser and workflow field mapping

Abstract

Described herein are examples of a material testing system that allow a user to select one or more customizable data parsers (from several customizable data parsers) when configuring workflows on a material testing machine for setup, execution, and / or analysis of a test method. Thereafter, when data is imported through the import device during operation of the workflow, the selected data parser (s) may separate (or parse) several smaller data portions from the imported data. The several smaller data portions may be mapped to different input fields and / or several different parameters (e.g., associated with the input fields) used to set the workflow simultaneously. In this manner, the material testing workflow can be much more efficient than conventional systems in which imported data can only be used to set a single workflow parameter (and / or fill in a single input field).

Description

[0001] Cross Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 447,182, filed February 21, 2023, entitled “Material Testing Systems with Customizable Data Parsers and Workflow Field Mappings,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to material testing systems, and more particularly to material testing systems with customizable data parsers and workflow field mappings. BACKGROUND

[0003] Various material specimens are tested for properties (e.g., tensile / compressive strength) using a material testing machine. The specific method (also referred to as test method) by which the test is conducted can vary from material specimen to material specimen. A computing device in communication with the material testing machine can guide a user through a workflow to set up, execute, and analyze the results of each test method.

[0004] The limitations and disadvantages of conventional methods and traditional methods will become apparent to those of skill in the art through comparison of the following SUMMARY

[0005] The present disclosure relates to material testing systems with customizable data parsers and workflow field mappings, substantially as illustrated by and / or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as to which reference can be made, and as set forth in the claims.

[0006] These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present disclosure, as well as details of an illustrated example thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 An example material testing system according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a material testing system according to aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 1

[0009] Figure 3 is a flow diagram showing example state progression of a material testing workflow according to aspects of the present disclosure.​

[0010] Figure 4 is a flow diagram illustrating example operations of a test process of a material testing system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 2

[0011] Figure 5 is a flow diagram illustrating example operations of a test process of a material testing system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 4

[0012] Figure 6 is a flow diagram illustrating example operations of a test process of a material testing system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 4

[0013] Figure 7 is a flow diagram illustrating example operations of a test process of a material testing system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 4

[0014] Figure 8 is a flow diagram illustrating example operations of a test process of a material testing system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 4

[0015] Figures 9a to 9b depicts an example parsing configuration graphical user interface (GUI) that can be output during a parsing configuration setup process of a test process of a material testing system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 5

[0016] Figure 10 depicts an example workflow setup GUI that can be output during a workflow setup process of a test process of a material testing system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 6

[0017] Figure 11 depicts an example workflow GUI that can be output during a workflow execution process of a test process of a material testing system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 7

[0018] Figure 12 depicts an example label printing GUI that can be output during a label printing process of a test process of a material testing system, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 8

[0019] The drawings are not necessarily to scale. Where appropriate, the same or similar reference numerals designate similar or identical elements throughout the several views. For example, reference numerals that utilize a letter (e.g., clamp 124a, clamp 124b) are utilized to refer to instances of the same element that are not identical (e.g., clamps 124).DETAILED DESCRIPTION ​​​​​​​​​

[0020] Material testing workflows sometimes require operator input of several pieces of information to set up a test method for execution, analyze results of a test method, and / or report results of a test method. However, manual entry of information related to a test method can be at risk for data entry errors and delays. While some systems automatically import information, it can be time consuming for an operator to individually import each piece of information, especially when a large amount of information needs to be imported.

[0021] The disclosed example material testing systems use a data importation device to automatically import data. The disclosed example material testing systems additionally use a data parser to split the imported data into several smaller data portions. In this way, one piece of imported data can populate several different data. After being split, the several smaller data portions can be used to populate various input fields and / or set various test parameters (e.g., variables) of a material testing workflow. In this way, a material testing workflow can be much more efficient than traditional systems in which imported data can only be used to set a single workflow parameter (and / or populate a single input field). The example material testing systems can also allow for custom data parsers, and / or the use of different data parsers for different workflows and / or input fields / parameters, making the systems highly robust.

[0022] Some examples of the present disclosure relate to a material testing system, the material testing system comprising: a material testing machine comprising a test sensor, a test actuator, and a test controller, the test controller being configured to control the test actuator to perform a test method; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: execute a material testing workflow configured to guide a user through setting up, executing, or analyzing the test method for the material testing machine; in response to executing the material testing workflow, displaying on a display screen a first graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a first workflow state of the material testing workflow, the first GUI comprising a first plurality of input fields, identifying a state in the first plurality of input fields, and One or more first input fields are associated with at least one input field mapping, the at least one input field mapping specifies a parsing configuration from a plurality of stored parsing configurations that should be used with the one or more first input fields, the parsing configuration including one or more parsing rules, according to which a segment of imported data can be split into two or more data parts, the at least one input field mapping further specifies which of the two or more data parts parsed according to the one or more parsing rules should be used to fill in the one or more first input fields, and in response to receiving a segment of data imported from a data import device: splitting the segment of data into the two or more data parts according to the one or more parsing rules of the parsing configuration, and filling in the one or more first input fields based on the at least one input field mapping.

[0023] In some examples, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further includes machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: perform the test method on the materials testing machine or analyze results of the test method performed on the materials testing machine using the data populated into the one or more first input fields during execution of the materials testing workflow. In some examples, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further includes machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: in response to initiation of a parsing configuration setup process: provide a second GUI via the display screen through which a user can customize the parsing configuration, receive a first signal from one or more input devices of a user interface, the first signal representing a first user interaction with the second GUI, the first user interaction defining at least one of the one or more parsing rules, and create or modify machine-readable data representing the parsing configuration and the one or more parsing rules in the non-transitory computer-readable medium based on the first user interaction.

[0024] In some examples, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further includes machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: during the parsing configuration setup process, receive sample data imported from the data import device, display, on the display screen, a representation of the sample data in the second GUI, the first user interaction with the second GUI comprises an interaction with the representation of the sample data displayed in the second GUI, and in response to the first user interaction, display, on the display screen, an annotation of the representation of the sample data in the second GUI, the annotation describing at least one parsing rule. In some examples, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further includes machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: in response to initiation of a material testing workflow setup process: provide, via the display screen, a third GUI through which a user can set up the material testing workflow, receive, from the one or more input devices, a second signal indicative of a second user interaction with the third GUI, the second user interaction defining the at least one input field mapping associated with the one or more first input fields of the material testing workflow, and based on the second user interaction, create or modify, in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the material testing workflow and the at least one input field mapping.

[0025] In some examples, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further includes machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive, via one or more input devices of a user interface, two or more user-created data portions, combine the two or more user-created data portions into one user-created data portion using an inverse process of the one or more parsing rules of the parsing configuration, and print, via a label printer, a label encoding the one user-created data portion. In some examples, the parsing configuration comprises a first parsing configuration associated with one or more first expected format standards, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium further includes machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: in response to receiving the piece of data imported from the data import device, verify whether the piece of data complies with the one or more first expected format standards of the first parsing configuration, in response to successfully verifying that the data complies with the one or more first expected format standards of the first parsing configuration, split the data into the two or more data portions and populate the one or more first input fields, and in response to failing to successfully verify that the piece of data complies with the one or more expected format standards of the first parsing configuration, output, via the user interface, a notification or identify a second parsing configuration comprising second expected format standards to which the piece of data complies.

[0026] Some examples of the present disclosure relate to a material testing system, comprising: a data import device; a material testing machine comprising: a test sensor, a test actuator, and a test controller, the test controller being configured to control the test actuator to perform a test method; a user interface; and a computing device configured to communicate with the user interface, the material testing machine, and the data import device, the computing device comprising: a processing circuit system configured to: execute a material testing workflow, the material testing workflow being configured to guide a user through setting up, executing, or analyzing the test method of the material testing machine, and in response to executing the material testing workflow, displaying a first graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a first workflow state of the material testing workflow on a display screen of the user interface, the first GUI comprising a first plurality of input fields , identifying one or more first input fields in the first plurality of input fields that are associated with at least one input field mapping, the at least one input field mapping specifying a parsing configuration from a plurality of stored parsing configurations that should be used with the one or more first input fields, the parsing configuration including one or more parsing rules, according to which a segment of imported data can be split into two or more data parts, the at least one input field mapping further specifying which of the two or more data parts parsed according to the one or more parsing rules should be used to fill in the one or more first input fields, and in response to receiving a segment of data imported from the data import device: splitting the segment of data into the two or more data parts according to the one or more parsing rules of the parsing configuration, and filling in the one or more first input fields based on the at least one input field mapping.

[0027] In some examples, the data import device includes a barcode reader, a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, a near field communication (NFC) reader, a short-range ultra-high-frequency reader, a camera, or a measuring device configured to measure a size of a specimen. In some examples, the processing circuit system is further configured to: in response to initiation of a parsing configuration setup process: provide a second GUI via the display screen, through which a user can customize the parsing configuration; receive sample data imported from the data import device; display a representation of the sample data in the second GUI on the display screen; receive a first signal from one or more input devices of the user interface, the first signal representing a first user interaction with the representation of the sample data displayed in the second GUI, the first user interaction defining at least one of the one or more parsing rules; and in response to the first user interaction, display an annotation for the representation of the sample data in the second GUI on the display screen, the annotation describing the at least one parsing rule.

[0028] In some examples, the at least one parsing rule includes a starting position and a character length of a substring of the two or more data portions, a particular character that appears before or after the substring, a particular string that appears before or after the substring, or a number of portions into which the segment imports data is divided. In some examples, the processing circuitry is further configured to, in response to initiation of a materials testing workflow setup process: provide a third GUI via the display screen through which a user can set up the materials testing workflow, receive a second signal from the one or more input devices, the second signal representing a second user interaction with the third GUI, the second user interaction defining the at least one input field mapping associated with the one or more first input fields of the materials testing workflow, and based on the second user interaction, creating or modifying in the memory circuitry the materials testing workflow and the at least one input field mapping.

[0029] In some examples, the processing circuitry is further configured to, during the materials testing workflow setup process, in response to receiving one or more third signals from the one or more input devices, define a first workflow state of the materials testing workflow and a second workflow state of the materials testing workflow, the second workflow state being associated with a fourth GUI and a second plurality of input fields. In some examples, the system further comprises a label printer in communication with the computing device, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive two or more user-created data portions via the one or more input devices, combine the two or more user-created data portions into one user-created data portion using an inverse of the one or more parsing rules of the parsing configuration, and print a label encoding the one user-created data portion via the label printer.

[0030] Some examples of the present disclosure relate to a method comprising: executing, via processing circuitry of a computing device, a material testing workflow configured to guide a user through setup, execution, and analysis of a test method of a material testing machine, the computing device being in communication with the material testing machine, the material testing machine comprising a test sensor, a test actuator, and a test controller configured to control the test actuator to conduct the test method; in response to executing the material testing workflow, displaying, on a display screen of a user interface in communication with the computing device, a first graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a first workflow state of the material testing workflow, the first GUI comprising a first plurality of input fields; identifying, via the processing circuitry, one or more first input fields of the first plurality of input fields that are associated with at least one input field mapping, the at least one input field mapping specifying a resolution configuration of a plurality of stored resolution configurations that should be used with the one or more first input fields, the resolution configuration comprising one or more resolution rules according to which imported data can be split into two or more data portions, the at least one input field mapping further specifying which one of the two or more data portions resolved according to the one or more resolution rules should be used to populate the one or more first input fields; and in response to receiving, at the computing device, a piece of data imported from a data import device in communication with the computing device: splitting the data into the two or more data portions according to the one or more resolution rules of the resolution configuration, and populating the one or more first input fields based on the at least one input field mapping.

[0031] In some examples, the data import device comprises a barcode reader, a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, a near field communication (NFC) reader, a short-range ultra-high frequency reader, a camera, or a measurement device configured to measure a specimen dimension. In some examples, the method further comprises, during execution of the material testing workflow, using the data entered into the one or more first input fields to execute the test method on the material testing machine or analyze results of the test method executed on the material testing machine. In some examples, the method further comprises, in response to initiation of the parsing configuration process: providing, via the display screen, a second GUI through which a user can self-define the parsing configuration, receiving, at the computing device, specimen data imported from the data import device, displaying, on the display screen, a representation of the specimen data in the second GUI, receiving, at the computing device, a first signal from one or more input devices of the user interface, the first signal representing a first user interaction with the representation of the specimen data displayed in the second GUI, the first user interaction defining at least one parsing rule of the one or more parsing rules, in response to the first user interaction, displaying, on the display screen, an annotation of the representation of the specimen data in the second GUI, the annotation describing the at least one parsing rule, and creating or modifying, based on the first user interaction, the parsing configuration and the one or more parsing rules in memory circuitry of the computing device.

[0032] In some examples, the method further comprises receiving, at the computing device via the one or more input devices, two or more smaller user-created data portions; combining, via the processing circuitry, the two or more smaller user-created data portions into one larger user-created data portion using an inverse of the one or more parsing rules of the parsing configuration; and printing, via a label printer in communication with the computing device, a label encoding the one larger user-created data portion. In some examples, the parsing configuration comprises a first parsing configuration, the first parsing configuration being associated with the one or more first expected format standards, the method further comprising, in response to receiving, at the computing device, the piece of data imported from the data import device, verifying, via the processing circuitry, whether the piece of data conforms to the one or more first expected format standards of the first parsing configuration, in response to successfully verifying that the piece of data conforms to the one or more first expected format standards of the first parsing configuration, splitting the data into the two or more data portions and entering the one or more first input fields, and in response to failing to successfully verify that the piece of data conforms to the one or more expected format standards of the first parsing configuration, outputting, via the user interface, a notification or identifying a second parsing configuration comprising second expected format standards to which the piece of data conforms.

[0033] Figure 1An example material testing system 100 is shown. As shown, the material testing system 100 includes a material testing machine 102 (also known as a universal testing machine), a computing system 104 connected to the material testing machine 102 via a cable 106, one or more data import devices 108 connected to the computing system 104 via a cable 110, and a label printer 150 connected to the computing system 104 via a line 152. Although shown as physically connected, in some examples, the connections between the computing system 104, the material testing machine 102, the data import devices 108, and / or the printer 150 can be wireless rather than wired.

[0034] exist Figure 1 In the example shown, the material testing machine 102 includes a frame 112. In some examples, the frame 112 provides rigid structural support for the other components of the material testing machine 102. As shown, the frame 112 includes a top plate 114 and a bottom base 116 connected by two columns 118. In some examples, the columns 118 of the frame 112 can accommodate the guide rails and / or drive shaft 212 of the material testing machine 102 (see, for example, FIG. Figure 2 ).

[0035] exist Figure 1 In the example of FIG, the movable lateral head 120 extends between the posts 118. In some examples, the movable lateral head 120 can be connected to rails and / or drive shafts 212 housed in the posts 118, and / or configured to move toward and / or away from the base 116 by actuation (e.g., by a motor) of the drive shaft(s) 212. Figure 1 While one movable transverse head 120 is shown in the example of FIG. 1 , in some examples, the materials testing machine 102 may have multiple movable transverse heads 120 and / or other movable components.

[0036] exist Figure 1 In the example of FIG, the fixture 122 is attached to the bottom base 116 of the frame 112 and the movable lateral head 120. As shown, the lower fixture 122a includes a clamp 124a, while the upper fixture 122b includes both a test sensor 126 and a clamp 124b. Figure 1 One test sensor 126 and two fixtures 124 are shown in the example of FIG. 1 , but in some examples, the testing machine 102 may include more or fewer test sensors 126 and / or fixtures 124 .

[0037] exist Figure 1In the example shown, clamp 124 holds a test specimen 128. Although shown as a (e.g., steel) rope, in some examples, test specimen 128 may be some other type of material and / or component. Although shown as a dog-bone clamp, in some examples, clamp 124a and / or clamp 124b may alternatively or additionally be configured as a bolt holder, a wedge clamp, a side-acting grip, a manual clamp, a roller clamp, a capstan clamp, and / or a syringe holder. In some examples, one or both of the clamps in clamp 124 may be replaced by a pressure plate configured to compress test specimen 128.

[0038] exist Figure 1 In some examples, test sensor 126 is coupled to fixture 124 such that test sensor 126 can measure a force acting on fixture 124 (and / or specimen 128, transverse head 120, etc.). In some examples, test sensor 126 can be a load cell. In some examples, test sensor 126 can be some other type of sensor.

[0039] In some examples, the material testing machine 102 can be configured for static mechanical testing. For example, the material testing machine 102 can be configured for compression strength testing, tensile strength testing, shear strength testing, bending strength testing, flexural strength testing, tear strength testing, peel strength testing (e.g., adhesive strength), torsional strength testing, and / or any other compression and / or tension testing. Additionally or alternatively, the material testing machine 102 can be configured to perform dynamic testing.

[0040] In some examples, materials testing machine 102 is configured to interface with computing system 104 to perform a test method. In some examples, computing system 104 can use data imported from data import device(s) 108 to perform the test method and / or analyze the results of the test method. Figure 1 Several examples of data import devices 108 are shown, which may be used to import data for performing a test method.

[0041] exist Figure 2In the example of FIG. 1, each data import device 108 is a device configured to send (and / or import) data to the computing system 104. For example, the data import device 108 can be a digital caliper 130 (e.g., configured to measure one or more dimensions of the test specimen 128, or one or more dimensions of a component of the material testing machine 102, etc.). In some examples, the digital caliper 130 can include a multiplexer that combines and / or merges several measurements prior to import. As another example, the data import device 108 can be a camera 132. In some examples, the data import device 108 can be a label reader 134 configured to read data from a label 136.

[0042] In some examples, the label 136 can be attached to the test specimen 128, packaging of the test specimen 128, the crosshead 120, the fixture 122 (see, e.g., FIG. 2), and / or some other component of the material testing machine 102. In some examples, the label 136 can store information related to the item to which the label 136 is attached. In some examples, the label 136 can be detached, and / or store other information in addition to information related to the item to which the label 136 is attached. Figure 2

[0043] In some examples, the label 136 can be a one-dimensional barcode label 136a, a two- dimensional barcode label 136b (e.g., a quick response code label), a Bluetooth label 136c (e.g., a label configured to use short-range ultra-high frequency in the 2.4 GHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band (between 2.402 and 2.480 GHz)), a near field communication (NFC) label 136d, a radio frequency identification (RFID) label 136e, and / or some other type of label 136. In some examples, the camera 132 can be configured to read and / or scan the one-dimensional barcode label 136a and / or the two-dimensional barcode label 136b. In some examples, the camera 132 can be incorporated into the label reader 134.

[0044] In some examples, the data import device 108 can capture data in response to a user activating a trigger, button, or other capture input 209 of the data import device 108 (see, e.g., FIG. 2). In some examples, the data can also be sent (and / or imported) to the computing system 104 in response to the user activating the capture input 209 of the data import device 108 (e.g., after capture). In examples in which the captured data is encoded (e.g., in the label 136), the data import device 108 can decode the encoded data prior to sending the encoded data to the computing system 104, or the computing system 104 can decode the encoded data after receiving the encoded data. Figure 1 In some examples, the data import device 108 can be configured to send (and / or import) data to the computing system 104 in response to a user activating a trigger, button, or other input of the data import device 108 (see, e.g., FIG. 2). In some examples, the data can also be sent (and / or imported) to the computing system 104 in response to the user activating the input of the data import device 108 (e.g., after capture). In examples in which the captured data is encoded (e.g., in the label 136), the data import device 108 can decode the encoded data prior to sending the encoded data to the computing system 104, or the computing system 104 can decode the encoded data after receiving the encoded data.

[0045] Figure 2 ​​In some examples, the material testing system 100 further includes a label printer 150. In some examples, the label printer 150 is configured to print one or more labels 136 (e.g., a one-dimensional barcode label 136a, a two-dimensional barcode label 136b, etc.). In some examples, the computing system 104 provides data to the label printer 150 to print the one or more labels 136. In some examples, the computing system 104 and / or the label printer 150 may encode the data before printing.

[0046] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a material testing system 100. Figure 2 similar, Figure 2 The example of illustrative embodiment shows computing system 104 connected to materials testing machine 102 via cable 106 . Figure 2 Further shown are a data import device 108 connected to the computing system 104 via a cable 108 , and a label printer 150 connected to the computing system 104 via a line 152 . Figure 2 Additional details of materials testing machine 102 and computing system 104 are also shown.

[0047] exist Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 1 , computing system 104 includes a computing device 202 and a user interface (UI) 204 interconnected with each other. As shown, UI 204 includes one or more input devices 206 configured to receive input from a user and one or more output devices 208 configured to provide output to the user. In some examples, the one or more input devices 206 may include one or more touch screens, a mouse, a keyboard, buttons, switches, sliders, knobs, microphones, dials, and / or other input devices 206. In some examples, the one or more output devices 208 may include one or more display screens / touch screens, speakers, lights, haptic devices, and / or other output devices 208. The output device(s) 208 (e.g., a display screen) of UI 204 may output one or more representations of a material testing workflow 300 configured to guide a user through the setup, execution, and / or analysis of a test method performed by materials testing machine 102.

[0048] exist Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 1 , the example materials testing machine 102 includes one or more actuators 210 coupled to one or more drive shafts 212. In some examples, the actuators 210 can be used to provide force to and / or induce movement of the drive shafts 212. In some examples, the actuators 210 can include electric motors, pneumatic actuators, hydraulic actuators, piezoelectric actuators, relays, and / or switches.

[0049] The drive shaft 212 is further shown as connected to the movable crosshead 120, such that moving the drive shaft(s) 212 via the actuator(s) 210 will result in movement of the movable crosshead 120. Although referred to as a drive shaft 212 in the example of Figure 2 the drive shaft 212 can be some other mechanical means by which the movable crosshead 120 is moved by induction of the actuator(s) 210.

[0050] The example material testing machine 102 is further shown as including a controller 214 in electrical communication with the actuator(s) 210. In some examples, the controller 214 can include processing circuitry and / or memory circuitry. In some examples, the controller 214 can be configured to control the material testing machine 102 based on one or more commands, control inputs, and / or test parameters. In some examples, the controller 214 can be configured to convert the commands, control inputs, and / or test parameters (e.g., received from the computing system 104) into appropriate (e.g., electrical) signals that can be delivered to the actuator(s) 210, thereby controlling the operation of the material testing machine 102 (e.g., via the actuator(s) 210). For example, the controller 214 can provide one or more signals that command more or less power to the actuator(s) 210, thereby increasing or decreasing the applied force.

[0051] In the example of Figure 2 the controller 214 is further in electrical communication with the fixtures 122 (e.g., the clamp 124 and the test sensor(s) 126). In some examples, the controller 214 can be configured to convert the commands, control inputs, and / or test parameters (e.g., received from the computing system 104) into appropriate (e.g., electrical) signals that can be delivered to the clamp 124, thereby controlling the operation of the clamp 124 (e.g., clamping or releasing). In some examples, the controller 214 can be configured to convert the commands, control inputs, and / or test parameters (e.g., received from the computing system 104) into appropriate (e.g., electrical) signals that can be delivered to the sensor(s) 126, thereby controlling the operation of the sensor(s) 126. In some examples, the controller 214 can be configured to convert measurement data received from the sensor(s) 126, and / or send the measurement data to the computing system 104.

[0052] The example controller 214 is further shown in electrical communication with a control panel 216 of the materials testing machine 102. In some examples, the control panel 216 can include one or more input devices (e.g., buttons, switches, sliders, knobs, microphones, dials, and / or other electromechanical input devices). In some examples, an operator can use the control panel 216 to directly control the materials testing machine 102. In some examples, the controller 214 can be configured to convert commands, control inputs, and / or test parameters received via the control panel 216 into appropriate (e.g., electrical) signals that can be delivered to the actuator(s) 210 and / or the grip(s) 124 to control the materials testing machine 102.

[0053] The controller 214 is also shown in electrical communication with a communication interface 218b of the materials testing machine 102. In some examples, the communication interface 218b includes hardware, firmware, circuitry, and / or software for connecting the materials testing machine 102 (e.g., wirelessly and / or via the cable 106) to the computing device 104. In some examples, the controller 214 can receive information (e.g., commands) from the computing device 202 via the communication interface 218b and / or send information (e.g., measurement data from the sensor(s) 126) to the computing device 202 via the communication interface 218b.

[0054] The example computing device 202 includes one or more communication interfaces 218a. In some examples, the communication interface 218a can be a network interface and / or an input / output (I / O) interface. For example, the one or more I / O interfaces 222 can include one or more Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, Thunderbolt ports, FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports, and / or any other type of serial and / or parallel data port. In some examples, the communication interface includes hardware, firmware, circuitry, and / or software to enable communication with external devices.

[0055] exist Figure 3 In the example shown, one communication interface 218a communicates with a communication interface 218b of the material testing machine 102 via the cable 106. As shown, the computing device 102 further communicates with a network 220 (e.g., the Internet), the label printer 150, and the data import device(s) 108 via the communication interface(s) 218a. In some examples, the computing device 202 can communicate with other computing systems 104 and / or the material testing machine 102 via the communication interface(s) 218a. As shown, the communication interface 218b is electrically connected to a common electrical bus 220 of the computing device 202.

[0056] The computing device 202 further includes processing circuitry 224 connected to the common electrical bus 220. In some examples, the processing circuitry 224 can include one or more processors. In some examples, the processing circuitry 224 is configured to process information received from the UI 204, the data import device(s) 108, and / or the materials testing machine 102. In some examples, the processing circuitry 224 is configured to transmit commands and / or test parameters to the materials testing machine 102 (e.g., via the communication interface(s) 218a). In some examples, the processing circuitry 224 is configured to output information to an operator through the UI 204. In some examples, the computing device 202 is configured to execute machine-readable instructions stored in the memory circuitry 226.

[0057] The example computing device 202 further includes memory circuitry 226 connected to the common electrical bus 220. As shown, the memory circuitry 226 includes (and / or stores) the materials testing workflow 300, the test procedure 400, and one or more resolution configurations 250. While shown as part of the memory circuitry 226 in the example of FIG. 2, in some examples, the materials testing workflow 300, the test procedure 400, and / or the resolution configuration(s) 250 can be implemented using discrete circuitry (e.g., of the processing circuitry 224). Figure 11

[0058] In some examples, the materials testing workflow 300, the test procedure 400, and / or the resolution configuration(s) 250 are implemented using non-transitory machine-readable instructions stored in the memory circuitry 226. In some examples, the processing circuitry 224 is configured to execute the machine-readable instructions of the materials testing workflow 300 to guide a user through setup, execution, and analysis of a test method of the materials testing machine 102. In some examples, the computing device 202 is configured to interface with the controller 214 of the materials testing machine 102 to execute the test method during the materials testing workflow 300.

[0059] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing example workflow states of the materials testing workflow 300. While a particular order of workflow states is shown, in some examples, the materials testing workflow 300 can be customizable such that additional and / or fewer workflow states can be implemented in the operations. Additionally, many alternative progressions through the workflow 300 can be possible.

[0060] ​In some examples, the material testing workflow 300 progresses through various workflow states to guide a user through setup, execution, and analysis of a test method of a material testing machine. In some examples, a particular workflow state can be associated with an output of the UI 204 (e.g., a display state of the workflow GUI 1100, see FIG. 11). While, for ease of understanding, the material testing workflow 300 is sometimes described below as performing certain actions, it should be understood that one or more of the above-described components of the material testing system 100 (e.g., the processing circuitry 224, the UI 204, etc.) can perform the actions on behalf of the material testing workflow 300 (and / or in accordance with instructions thereof). Figure 3

[0061] In examples, Figure 3 the first workflow state is a sample setup state 302 (and / or a plurality of sample setup states 302). During the sample setup state(s) 302, the material testing workflow 300 prompts an operator to provide information relating to a set of coupons 128 of a sample and information relating to a set of test methods that will be used to test the coupons 128 of the sample.

[0062] The information prompted (and / or collected) during the sample setup state(s) 302 can be information applicable to all of the coupons 128 of the sample and the test methods, such as a date on which the test(s) will be run, a date on which the coupons 128 were manufactured / shipped / packaged, identification information of the operator (e.g., a number, a name, etc.), identification information of the fixture(s) (e.g., a number(s), a name(s), etc.), and / or other information relating to all of the tests of all of the coupons 128. In some examples, data prompted (and / or collected) during the sample setup state(s) 302 can be imported, such as by reading (and / or capturing an image of) a label 136 attached to a packaging sample of the coupons 128, the material testing machine 102, and / or a component of the material testing machine 102 (e.g., the fixture 122, the crosshead 120, etc.). As another example, the computing device 202 can load information from the memory circuitry 226 or download information over the network 220 based on an image captured by the data import device(s) 108 (e.g., an image of a packaging sample of the coupons 128, the material testing machine 102, and / or a component of the material testing machine 102).

[0063] In examples, Figure 3 ​In the example of FIG. 3, the sample setup state 302 is followed by one or more test specimen and / or test method setup states 304. During the test specimen and / or test method setup state(s) 304, the material testing workflow 300 prompts an operator to provide (and / or collect) information related to a particular specimen 128 of the sample and / or information related to a particular test method that will be used to test the particular specimen 128. For example, the information prompted to be provided (and / or collected) during the test specimen and / or test method setup state(s) 304 can include a date on which the test will be run, a date on which the specimen 128 was manufactured / shipped / packaged, identification information (e.g., a number, a name, a description, etc.) of the specimen 128, identification information (e.g., a number, a name, a description, etc.) of the test, pre-test characteristics of the specimen 128 (e.g., a measured value, a material type, a weight, a color, a shape, etc.), target parameters of the test (e.g., a start / end position of the clamp(s) 124 / crosshead 120, a distance moved by the crosshead 120, a speed of movement of the crosshead 120, an expected result(s) of the test (e.g., a break location / type, a distance moved before breaking, a force applied before breaking, a post-test characteristic of the sample, etc.), a time(s) at which the sensor(s) 126 should take a measurement(s), etc.), and / or other information related to the particular test method and / or the particular specimen.

[0064] In some examples, the information prompted to be provided (and / or collected) during the test specimen and / or test method setup state(s) 304 can be imported. For example, the data import device(s) 108 can import information read from the label 136 attached to the specimen 128 (and / or associated packaging), the material testing machine 102, and / or a component of the material testing machine 102 (e.g., the fixture 122, the crosshead 120, etc.). As another example, the data import device(s) 108 can import information about the specimen 128 measured by the digital caliper 130. As another example, the computing device 202 can load information related to the specimen 128 from the memory circuitry 226 or download the information related to the specimen 128 over the network 220 based on an image captured by the data import device(s) 108.

[0065] In Figure 3In the example shown in FIG1 , the test specimen and / or test method setup state 304 is followed by a test method execution state 306 (and / or multiple test method execution states 306). During the test method execution state(s) 306, the computing device 202 communicates with the material testing machine 102 (e.g., via the communication interface 218) to execute a test method on the test specimen 128 using the material testing machine 102 based on information received during the test specimen and / or test method setup state 304 and / or the sample setup state 302. For example, the processing circuitry 224 of the computing device 202 may determine one or more parameters and / or commands and / or send the one or more parameters and / or commands to the material testing machine 102, and the controller 214 of the material testing machine 102 may control the actuator(s) 210 of the material testing machine 102 to execute the test method based on the command(s) and / or parameter(s).

[0066] exist Figure 3 In the example shown in FIG, the test method execution state 306 is followed by one or more post-test analysis setup states 308. During the post-test analysis setup state(s) 308, the material testing workflow 300 prompts the operator to provide (and / or collect) information related to the analysis of the test method performed during the test method execution state 306.

[0067] For example, the information prompted for (and / or collected) during the post-test specimen analysis setup state 308 may include post-test characteristics of the specimen 128, actual parameters of the test, actual results of the test, and / or other information related to the test method and / or analysis of the test sample. Figure 3 304 , but in some examples, the post-test specimen analysis setup state 308 may be integrated into the test specimen(s) and / or test method setup state 304 .

[0068] exist Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 3 , one or more post-test specimen analysis setup states 308 are followed by one or more post-test specimen analysis calculation states 310 of the material testing workflow 300. During the post-test specimen analysis calculation state(s) 310, the processing circuitry 224 of the computing device 202 may perform one or more calculations based on information collected during the previous post-test specimen analysis setup state(s) 308. For example, the processing circuitry 224 may estimate the strength, reliability, quality, grade, elasticity, and / or other characteristics of the specimen 128. As another example, the processing circuitry 224 may make assumptions about the structure and / or composition of the specimen 128. As another example, the processing circuitry may make assumptions about the future performance of the specimen 128.

[0069] existFigure 4 In the example of FIG. 3, the material testing workflow 300 is for all test methods and / or test specimen repeats 304-310 (set at state 302) for a test specimen. As shown, after state 310, the material testing workflow 300 repeats to the next test method and / or test specimen (assuming another test method or test specimen exists) at state 314, and then back to state 304. Once states 304-310 have been completed for all test methods and / or test specimens for the test specimen, the material testing workflow 300 proceeds through one or more reporting states 316, at which the material testing workflow 300 can provide reports regarding the results of the test specimen according to operator specifications. After the reporting state(s) of the material testing workflow 300, the material testing workflow 300 ends.

[0070] Figure 5 is a flowchart depicting example operations of a test process 400 that can handle the setup and / or execution of the workflow 300. In some examples, the test process 400 can also handle the setup of one or more parsing configurations 250 that can be used during the execution of the workflow 300 to split a piece of imported data into several smaller data portions. The test process 400 can also handle the execution of a label printing process 800 that uses an inverse of the parsing configuration(s) 250 to combine the several smaller data portions into a piece of larger data, and then print a label 136 encoded with the piece of larger data. While the test process 400 is sometimes described below as performing certain actions for ease of understanding, it should be understood that one or more of the above-described components of the material testing system 100 (e.g., the processing circuitry 224, the UI 204, etc.) can perform the actions on behalf of the test process 400 (and / or according to instructions thereof).

[0071] In Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 3, the material testing workflow 300 is for all test methods and / or test specimen repeats 304-310 (set at state 302) for a test specimen. As shown, after state 310, the material testing workflow 300 repeats to the next test method and / or test specimen (assuming another test method or test specimen exists) at state 314, and then back to state 304. Once states 304-310 have been completed for all test methods and / or test specimens for the test specimen, the material testing workflow 300 proceeds through one or more reporting states 316, at which the material testing workflow 300 can provide reports regarding the results of the test specimen according to operator specifications. After the reporting state(s) of the material testing workflow 300, the material testing workflow 300 ends. Figure 6 is further discussed below with reference to

[0072] In Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 3, the material testing workflow 300 is for all test methods and / or test specimen repeats 304-310 (set at state 302) for a test specimen. As shown, after state 310, the material testing workflow 300 repeats to the next test method and / or test specimen (assuming another test method or test specimen exists) at state 314, and then back to state 304. Once states 304-310 have been completed for all test methods and / or test specimens for the test specimen, the material testing workflow 300 proceeds through one or more reporting states 316, at which the material testing workflow 300 can provide reports regarding the results of the test specimen according to operator specifications. After the reporting state(s) of the material testing workflow 300, the material testing workflow 300 ends. Figure 7 is further discussed below with reference to

[0073] In Figure 4In the example of FIG, after the workflow setup process 600, the testing process 400 proceeds to the workflow execution process 700. In some examples, one or more workflows 300 (e.g., created and / or modified during the workflow setup process 600) are executed during the workflow execution process 700. In some examples, one or more parsing configurations 250 (e.g., created and / or modified during the parsing configuration setup process 500) can be used during the workflow execution process 700. The workflow execution process 700 will be referred to below. Figure 4 Further discussion.

[0074] exist Figure 8 In the example of , after the workflow execution process 700, the testing process 400 proceeds to the label printing process 800. In some examples, the label printing process 800 uses the inverse process of the parsing configuration 250 (e.g., created and / or modified during the parsing configuration setup process 500) to combine several smaller data portions into a larger piece of data and then prints a label 136 that encodes the larger piece of combined data. Figure 5 In the example shown as occurring at the end of the test process 400, in some examples, the label printing process 800 can occur at other times during the test process 400. The label printing process 800 will be referred to below. Figure 4 Further discussion.

[0075] Figures 9a to 9b is a diagram illustrating the parsing configuration setup process 500 (ie, Figure 10 In some examples, the parsing configuration setup process 500 provides a parsing setup GUI 900 through which a user can create and / or modify one or more parsing configurations 250 (e.g., see Figure 5 More specifically, during the parsing configuration setup process 500, the user may define one or more parsing rules 910 according to which the imported data may be segmented into (and / or parsed into) smaller data portions (e.g., see Figure 9a Although the parsing configuration setup process 500 is sometimes described below as performing certain actions, it should be understood that one or more of the above-described components of the materials testing system 100 (e.g., processing circuitry 224, UI 204, etc.) may perform actions on behalf of the parsing configuration setup process 500 (and / or in accordance with its instructions).

[0076] exist Figures 9a to 9bIn the example of FIG. 9, the parsing configuration setting process 500 begins at block 902, where the parsing configuration setting process 500 receives an input indicating that the user wants to add or modify a parsing configuration 250 (e.g., via the UI 204). If such an input is not received, the parsing configuration setting process 500 repeats block 902. Once the input is received, the parsing configuration setting process 500 proceeds to block 904.

[0077] At block 904, the parsing configuration setting process 500 selects one or more types of parsing configurations 250 to add or modify. When modifying an existing parsing configuration 250, the parsing configuration setting process 500 selects the type previously associated with the saved parsing configuration 250. When adding a new parsing configuration 250, the parsing configuration setting process 500 can select the type of the new parsing configuration 250 based on input from the user (e.g., received via the UI 204).

[0078] In some examples, the parsing configuration setting process 500 can present a parsing settings GUI 900 at block 904 that allows selection of a parsing configuration 250. In some examples, the parsing configuration setting process 500 can present a plurality of parsing configurations 250 at block 904 (e.g., via the parsing settings GUI 900) for the user to select from. In some examples, the type of a parsing configuration 250 can be associated with the type of data that the parsing configuration 250 is designed to process (and / or the type(s) of data import device(s) 108). In some examples, a particular type of parsing configuration 250 can also be associated with a particular type of parsing rule 910 that the parsing configuration 250 can accommodate.

[0079] For example, one type of parsing configuration 250 can be an image-based parsing configuration 250 (e.g., designed to parse image data). In such an example, each parsing rule 910 of the parsing configuration 250 can be defined with respect to an image to be parsed. Another example of a type of parsing configuration 250 can be a numerical parsing configuration 250 (e.g., designed to parse numerical data). In such an example, each parsing rule 910 of the parsing configuration 250 can be defined with respect to numerical data expected to be parsed. Another example of a type of parsing configuration 250 can be a string parsing configuration 250 (e.g., designed to parse strings). In such an example, each parsing rule 910 of the parsing configuration 250 can be defined with respect to a string to be parsed.

[0080] Once a type of parsing configuration 250 is selected at block 504, the parsing configuration setup process 500 proceeds to block 506, where the user can enter sample data and then display the sample data (e.g., via the parsing setup GUI 900). In some examples, the sample data can be entered manually by the user (e.g., via the UI 204) or imported automatically (e.g., via the data import device(s) 108). While having sample data can make the setup of parsing rules easier, such as by providing images that the user can interact with to define the parsing rule(s) 910, in some examples, block 506 can be skipped.

[0081] Figure 5 An example of a parsing setup GUI 900 is shown, where the user has selected a string parsing configuration 250 (e.g., at block 504) and is about to enter sample data. The parsing setup GUI 900 is shown as providing a selectable “add rule” input 902 that allows the user to add a new parsing rule 910. The parsing setup GUI 900 also has a sample data input field 904a into which the user can enter sample data (e.g., via the UI 204) and / or into which sample data can be imported (e.g., via the capture input 209 of the data import device(s) 108) can be selected. The parsing setup GUI 900 also has input fields 904b-904d that allow the user to select a type of parsing rule, a name of the parsing rule, and / or a description of the parsing rule.

[0082] After a type of parsing configuration 250 is selected at block 504 and sample data is (possibly) entered / imported at block 506, the parsing configuration setup process 500 proceeds to block 508, where one or more parsing rules 910 can be defined. In some examples, the one or more parsing rules can be defined based on user interaction with the parsing setup GUI 900 (e.g., via the UI 204). For example, the user interaction can be interaction with one or more of the selectable inputs 902 and / or input fields 904 of the parsing setup GUI 900. As another example, the user interaction can be interaction with the sample data entered into and / or displayed by the parsing setup GUI 900.

[0083] In some examples, each parsing rule 910 can identify a rule according to which data (e.g., imported) can be parsed (and / or split) into two or more smaller data portions. For example, a parsing rule 910 can indicate that the first four characters of an imported string should be split (and / or parsed) from the rest of the imported string, forming its own substring. Another example of a parsing rule 910 can be that all characters in an imported string that occur after a "z" and / or before a semicolon (;) should be parsed as a separate substring. Another example of a parsing rule 910 can be that an image should be split into x equal portions, where x is a number defined in the metadata of the imported image file (e.g., at the 5th and 6th characters of the metadata, or after the "size:" string). Another example parsing rule 910 can indicate that a certain number of significant digits after a decimal point should be split from the rest of the imported numeric data, or that characters after a number in an alphanumeric string should be split from the rest of the string (e.g., because those characters specify a unit).

[0084] Figure 9b The parsing settings GUI shown in FIG. 6 includes a parsing rule guide 906 presented in a side ribbon. As shown, the rule guide 906 describes four different types of string parsing rules: fixed length, character split, name-value pair, and custom. In some examples, a fixed length character parsing rule 910 can define a substring according to a number of characters in the substring and a starting and / or ending position. In some examples, a character split parsing rule 910 can define a substring according to a starting and / or ending position, where the starting and / or ending position is identified by a particular character that occurs at the start and / or end of the substring (and / or immediately before / after the start / end of the substring). In some examples, a name-value pair parsing rule 910 can define a substring according to a starting and / or ending position, where the starting and / or ending position is identified by one or more particular words (or strings) that occur at the start and / or end of the substring (and / or immediately before / after the start / end of the substring), where the particular word(s) can also be used to identify information in the substring (e.g., ID 12345; where ID is the particular word and 12345 is the ID information). In some examples, a custom character parsing rule 910 can define a substring according to some custom parameters, such as a combination of one or more of the other rules (e.g., a string that starts at the 5th character and ends immediately before "ID").

[0085] In some examples, the smaller data portions that are segmented / parsed according to the parsing rules 910 can not overlap, such that each smaller data portion does not contain data from any other smaller data portion. However, in some examples, one or more smaller data portions can contain data that is shared by one or more other smaller data portions.

[0086] In Figure 9b In the example of FIG. 5, after defining one or more parsing rules 910 at block 508, the parsing configuration setup process 500 annotates the provided sample data at block 510. In some examples, the annotation(s) 912 can indicate which portion of the sample data (provided at block 506) is to be parsed according to the most recently defined parsing rule 910. In some examples, the annotations 912 can also indicate (e.g., using a name, description, etc.) the particular parsing rule 910 according to which the annotated portion is to be parsed.

[0087] Figure 9b An example of the parsing setup GUI 900 after inputting / importing sample data 908, defining parsing rules 910, and annotating the sample data 908 according to the parsing rules 910 (at blocks 506-510) is shown. Two parsing rules 910 and two annotations 912 are shown. Both of the parsing rules 910 are fixed-length string parsing rules 910. The first parsing rule 910a defines a first (part number) substring that starts at the first character of the sample data 908 and is eight characters in length. The second parsing rule 910b defines a second (manufacturing date) substring that starts at the ninth character of the sample data 908 and is six characters in length.

[0088] In Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 5, the annotation 912a indicates via underlining and a text bubble that the first eight characters of the sample data 908 are to be parsed according to the first parsing rule 910. The annotation 912b identifies that the next six characters of the sample data 908 are to be parsed according to the second parsing rule 910b. While, for simplicity, Figure 6 While the example of FIG. 5 shows a string parsing configuration 250 with two strings of a particular parsing rule 910 and corresponding annotations 912, in some examples, there can be (and / or the parsing setup GUI 900 can show) different types of parsing configurations 250 with different and / or more parsing rules 910 and / or annotations 912.

[0089] In Figure 4In the example of FIG, once the parsing rule(s) 910 are defined at block 510, the parsing configuration setup process 500 proceeds to block 512, where the parsing rule(s) 910 are saved in the memory circuitry 226. Block 514 then determines whether more parsing rules 910 need to be defined, for example by prompting a user and / or evaluating subsequent input. The parsing configuration setup process 500 loops through blocks 508-514 until all parsing rules 910 have been defined and saved, and then saves the overall parsing configuration 250 at block 516. Although shown as ending after block 516, in some examples, the parsing configuration setup process 500 may alternatively return to block 502 after block 516.

[0090] Figure 6 The workflow setup process 600 is shown (ie, Figure 3 4 (see the second box in the test process 400 shown in FIG). In some examples, the workflow setup process 600 provides a workflow setup GUI 1000 through which a user can create and / or modify one or more workflows 300. More specifically, the workflow setup GUI 1000 can allow a user to configure one or more workflow states, and one or more mappings / associations between test parameters 1004 of the workflow states and parsing rules 910 of the parsing configuration 250.

[0091] exist Figure 6 In the example shown in FIG. 6 , the workflow setup process 600 begins at block 602 , where the workflow setup process 600 loops until input is received (e.g., via the UI 204 ) indicating that the user wants to add or modify a workflow 300. Once the input is received, the workflow setup process 600 proceeds to block 604 , where the workflow setup process 600 selects a workflow 300 to create or modify (e.g., based on the input received from the UI 204 ). Subsequently, the workflow setup process 600 proceeds to block 606 , where the workflow setup process 600 selects a state of the selected workflow 300 to add or modify (e.g., based on the input from the UI 204 ). Figure 6 ).

[0092] exist Figure 10In the example of FIG. 6, after block 606, the workflow setup process 600 identifies one or more test parameters 1004 (and / or input fields) associated with the selected workflow state at block 608. In some examples, the workflow setup process 600 also configures one or more properties of the test parameters 1004 (and / or input fields). For example, the workflow setup process 600 can configure a data type (and / or data size) of a parameter (e.g., Boolean, number, string, image, date, phone number, zip code, etc.). In some examples, the identification(s) and / or configuration(s) can be based on input received from a user (e.g., via the UI 204). In some examples, the identification(s) and / or configuration(s) can be based on one or more previously configured workflow states and / or parameters 1004.

[0093] After block 608, the workflow setup process 600 proceeds to block 610, where one or more mappings can be defined. In some examples, the mappings can associate (and / or map) test parameters 1004 (and / or related input fields) with parsing rules 910 of a parsing configuration 250. Thus, if imported data for a parameter 1004 (and / or input field) is received from the data import device(s) 108, the system 100 can look to the mappings to determine which parsing configuration 250 (and / or parsing rule 910) to use to parse the imported data. The parsing rule 910 can also identify which particular portion of the imported data should be applied to the parameter 1004 (and / or input field). In cases where other portions of the imported data are mapped to other parameters 1004 (and / or input fields), the system 100 can also parse those other portions (according to the mapped parsing rule(s) 910) and populate those parameters 1004 (and / or input fields) as well. In some examples, the workflow setup process 600 can only allow a parameter 1004 (and / or input field) to be mapped to a parsing rule 910 where both are configured for the same type of data (e.g., numerical data, string, date, image, etc.). In some examples, the mapping(s) can be defined based on user input received (e.g., via the UI 204).

[0094] After defining the mapping of the identified parameters 1004 for the selected workflow state at block 610, the workflow setup process 600 proceeds to block 612 where the workflow state (and / or associated parameters 1004 and / or mapping) is saved to the memory circuitry 226. As shown, the workflow setup process 600 then repeats blocks 606-612 until the user (e.g., via the UI 204) indicates that they have completed creating or modifying the state of the selected material testing workflow 300. Once the creation / modification of the state of the selected material testing workflow 300 is complete, all information for the material testing workflow 300 is saved to the memory circuitry 226 at block 616. While Figure 10 In the example of FIG, the workflow setup process 600 is shown as ending after block 616, but in some examples, the workflow setup process 600 may instead return to block 602.

[0095] Figure 10 An example of a workflow setup GUI 1000 is shown that allows a user to create a mapping that associates parsing rules 910 with parameters 1004 (and / or input fields 1006) of a workflow state. Figure 10 In the example of FIG, the workflow setup GUI 1000 is shown with a state identifier 1002 that identifies the state of the material testing workflow 300 configured by the workflow setup GUI 1000. The workflow setup GUI 1000 also shows four test parameters 1004 (corresponding to four input fields 1006) associated with the workflow state identified by the state identifier 1002.

[0096] exist Figure 7 In the example of FIG, the workflow setting GUI 100 has a mapping window 1008 that identifies the mapping (and / or association) between the parameters 1004 (and / or input fields 1006) of the workflow state and the parsing rules 910 of the selected parsing configuration 250. As shown, the mapping window 1008 indicates that two parameters 1004 (and / or input fields 1006) have been mapped to two parsing rules 910 of two parsing configurations 250. Although in Figure 7 In the example shown, each of the two parameters 1004 (and / or input fields 1006) is mapped to the same parsing configuration 250, but in some examples, different parameters 1004 (and / or input fields 1006) can be mapped to different parsing configurations 250. Mapping window 1008 further shows that two other parameters 1004 (and / or input fields 1006) remain unmapped. In some examples, the remaining parameters 1004 (and / or input fields 1006) can be mapped using other parsing configurations 250 or can be filled in by manual entry.

[0097] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating example operations of the workflow execution process 700 (i.e., the third block in the test process 400 shown in FIG. 400). While the workflow execution process 700 is sometimes described below as taking certain actions for ease of understanding, it should be understood that one or more of the above-described components of the material testing system 100 (e.g., the processing circuitry 224, the UI 204, etc.) can perform the actions on behalf of the workflow execution process 700 (and / or in accordance with instructions thereof).

[0098] In some examples, one or more workflows 300 (e.g., created and / or modified during the workflow setup process 600) are executed during the workflow execution process 700. In some examples, one or more of the parsing configurations 250 (e.g., created and / or modified during the parsing configuration setup process 500) can be used during the workflow execution process 700. Further, data portions parsed / split from the imported data according to one or more parsing rules 910 (of the parsing configuration(s) 250) can be used to populate parameters 1004 (and / or input fields 1006) of the workflow 300. The workflow execution process 700 can execute and / or evaluate the test method using the populated parameters 1004 according to the specification set forth in the workflow 300.

[0099] In Figure 7 examples, the workflow execution process 700 begins at block 702, where a material testing workflow 300 is selected and / or loaded (e.g., based on UI 204 input). Thereafter, at block 704, the workflow execution process 700 identifies a next state of the material testing workflow 300. In some examples (e.g., upon first launch), the next state can be the first state. Thereafter, at block 706, the workflow execution process 700 outputs a workflow GUI 1100 (and / or other output) associated with the identified state of the material testing workflow 300 (see, e.g., FIG. 11). Figure 7

[0100] ​When the workflow GUI 1100 is output at block 706 (e.g., via the UI 204), the workflow GUI 1100 can default to focus on a particular input field 1106 (e.g., the first input field 1106a). In some examples, the workflow GUI 1100 can focus on a different input field 1106 in response to user interaction (e.g., via the UI 204). In some examples, when focused on a particular input field 1106, input data received (e.g., via the UI 204 and / or the data import device(s) 108) will be used to populate that particular input field 1106 (and / or set the value of a parameter 1004 associated with the input field 1106).

[0101] In Figure 11 examples, after block 706, the workflow execution process 700 continues to block 708, where the workflow execution process 700 identifies the parsing configuration 250 and / or the parsing rules 910 associated with the focused input field 1106. When imported data is received from the data import device(s) 108 at block 710, the workflow execution process 700 checks to ensure that the received imported data conforms to one or more expected format standards associated with the input field 1106, the parsing configuration 250, and / or the parsing rules 910. The expected format standards can refer to, for example, an expected type of the imported data (e.g., image, numerical value, string, etc.), an expected size of the imported data (e.g., number of bits / bytes, number of characters, number of pixels, etc.), a source of the imported data (e.g., a label reader 134, a camera 132, etc.), and / or other standards. In some examples, these standards can be set and / or saved during the parsing configuration setup process 500 and / or the workflow setup process 600.

[0102] In Figure 10In the example of FIG. 7, if the imported data does not conform to the expected format criteria at block 712, the workflow execution process 700 can attempt to identify the expected format criteria for one or more of the input fields 1106 and / or the mapped resolution configuration 250 that the input data conforms to at block 714. Thereafter, at block 716, the workflow execution process 700 outputs one or more error notifications (e.g., via the UI 204). In some examples, the error notification(s) can be a visual or audio message, warning, or alert indicating that the imported data does not conform to the expected format criteria. In some examples, the notification(s) can identify the criteria that are met and / or not met. In some examples, the notification(s) can indicate whether the input data conforms (or is closer to conforming) to other input fields 1106 and / or mapped resolution configurations 250. When the input data conforms (or is closer to conforming) to other input fields 1106 and / or mapped resolution configurations 250, the workflow execution process 700 can provide an option to use the input data for those input field(s) 1106 and / or resolution configuration(s) 250 (e.g., by moving the field focus). After the notification(s) at block 716, the workflow execution process 700 returns to block 706.

[0103] On the other hand, if the imported data conforms to the expected format criteria at block 712, the workflow execution process 700 proceeds to block 718, where the workflow execution process 700 splits the imported data into a plurality of smaller data portions according to the resolution rules 910 of the resolution configuration 250 identified at block 708. After splitting / resolving the imported data into smaller data portions, at block 720, the smaller data portions are used to populate the input field(s) 1106 (and / or set the parameter(s) 1004) of the workflow 300 according to the mapped resolution rules 910. In cases where one or more resolution rules 910 of the resolution configuration 250 map to input fields 1106 and / or parameters 1004 associated with other states of the workflow 300, these data portions can be stored until the appropriate workflow state is executed (and / or identified) by the workflow execution process 700 (e.g., at block 704).

[0104] If the workflow execution process 700 determines (at block 722) that there is another unfilled input field 1106 (and / or parameter 1004) associated with the workflow GUI 1100 (and / or workflow state), the workflow execution process 700 moves the focus to the next unfilled input field 1106 (and / or parameter 1004) at block 724, and then returns to block 706. If there are no more unfilled input fields 1106 (and / or parameters 1004), the workflow execution process 700 determines (at block 726) whether there is another (unexecuted) state of the material testing workflow 300. If the material testing workflow 300 has another (unexecuted) state, and the next state is not an execution or analysis calculation state, the workflow execution process 700 returns to block 704, where the next state is identified. If the material testing workflow 300 has another (unexecuted) state, and the next state is an execution or analysis calculation state (as determined at block 728), the workflow execution process 700 proceeds to block 730, where the execution or analysis calculation state is executed using the parameters 1004 of the workflow. Thereafter, the workflow execution process 700 proceeds to block 704. While the workflow execution process 700 is shown as ending when there are no more unexecuted states of the workflow 300, in some examples the workflow execution process 700 can instead return to block 702.

[0105] Figure 10 An example of the workflow GUI 1100 after the data has been imported and filled into its input fields 1106 (e.g., at block 720), and the focus has moved to the next unfilled input field 1106 (e.g., at block 724) is shown. As shown, an eight-digit string has been filled into the part number input field 1106a. This is the same length of a number string as shown in the example workflow setup GUI 1000 of Figure 10 However, the actual number data is different, which reflects the fact that Figure 8 The number data in the workflow setup GUI 1000 of Figure 4 is just sample data. Likewise, the date in the manufacture date input field 1106 is different from the sample data in

[0106] Figure 8 is shown to illustrate the label printing process 800 (i.e.,Figure 12 FIG. 8 is a flowchart of example operations of a label printing process 800 that can be performed by the material testing system 100 (e.g., by the processing circuitry 224) to print a label 136 that encodes a large data portion (e.g., a large data portion that is the result of the inverse of the parsing rules 910 of the parsing configuration 250 used in the test process 400 shown in FIG. 4). In some examples, the label printing process 800 uses the inverse of the parsing rules 910 of the parsing configuration 250 (e.g., created and / or modified during the parsing configuration setup process 500) to combine several smaller data portions into one large data portion, and prints a label 136 that encodes the one large data portion. While the label printing process 800 is sometimes described below as performing certain actions for ease of understanding, it should be understood that one or more of the above-described components of the material testing system 100 (e.g., the processing circuitry 224, the UI 204, the label printer 150, etc.) can perform the actions on behalf of the label printing process 800 (and / or in accordance with instructions thereof).

[0107] In Figure 12 In the example of FIG. 8, the label printing process 800 begins at block 802, where the parsing configuration 250 and one or more parsing rules 910 of the parsing configuration 250 are selected. In some examples, the selection can be based on user input (e.g., received via the UI 204). For example, the user input can directly identify the parsing configuration 250 and / or the parsing rules 910. As another example, the user input can indirectly identify the parsing configuration 250 and / or the parsing rules 910, for example by identifying an input field 1106 that maps to the parsing rules 910, and / or by identifying a workflow state that is associated with the input field 1106. In some examples, the label printing process 800 can be limited to parsing configurations 250 and / or parsing rules 910 that process numeric strings or (e.g., alphanumeric) character strings.

[0108] After block 802, the label printing process 800 continues to block 804, where the type of label 136 to be printed is selected. In some examples, the selection can be based on user input (e.g., received via the UI 204). For example, the user input can directly identify the type of label 136 (e.g., a 1D barcode label 136a, a 2D barcode label 136b, an NFC label 136d, an RFID label 136e, etc.) via the label printing GUI 1204 (see, e.g., FIG. 12). In some examples, the label printing process 800 can automatically select the type of label 136 to be printed, for example based on the type of input and / or import device 108 that the selected parsing configuration 250 is designed to work with. ​

[0109] ​Once the parsing rule 910 and the type of label 136 is selected at blocks 802-804, the label printing process 800 outputs (e.g., via the label printing GUI 1200) an input field 1206 that is mapped to the parsing rule 910 and can be filled in by a user (e.g., via the UI 204). In some examples, the label printing GUI 1200 can clearly indicate that the input field 1206 corresponds to the selected parsing rule 910, and / or identify how the data filled into the input field 1206 is combined together according to the parsing rule 910. After the data is actually input to the input field 1206 (at block 810), the label printing process 800 can verify (at block 812) whether any of the input data is in compliance with the expected format standards (e.g., size, length, data type, etc.) associated with the input field 1206, the parsing configuration 250, and / or the parsing rule 910. If there are any format discrepancies, the label printing process 800 can attempt to identify (at block 814, similar to block 714) the expected format standards for the one or more input fields 1206 and / or mapped parsing configurations 250 that the input data is to be in compliance with. Thereafter, the label printing process 800 outputs an error notification(s) (similar to the notifications described above with respect to block 716) at block 816, and then returns to block 802.

[0110] If all of the formats are correct, the label printing process 800 combines the data together at block 818 using the inverse of the parsing rule 910. For example, if the parsing rule 910 defines how four characters of data are split into a three character portion and a one character portion, the label printing process 800 can combine a three character input and a one character input into a single combined data in the same manner. Finally, at block 820, the combined data is encoded and printed as a barcode by the barcode printer 150.

[0111] ​ is an example of a label printing GUI 1200 that the label printing process 800 can output. As shown, the label printing GUI 204 identifies the parsing configuration 250 and the parsing rule 910 that will be used to print the label 136. The label printing GUI 204 also identifies the label type 1202 to be printed, and shows several previews 1204 of the label 136 that will be printed.

[0112] The disclosed materials testing system 100 allows for customization of different parsing configurations 250 that parse and / or segment the imported data into several smaller data portions according to the parsing rules 910 of the parsing configurations 250. The system 100 also allows for the use of different parsing configurations 250 for different workflows 300 (and / or different portions of the same workflow 300). In this manner, a single segment of imported data can be used to set the values ​​of several different workflow parameters 1004 and / or populate several different workflow input fields 1106. Furthermore, the parsing rules 910 can be reversed to combine several smaller data portions into a larger segment of data and print a label 136 encoding the combined larger segment of data.

[0113] The present method and / or system can be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The present method and / or system can be implemented in a centralized manner in at least one computing system, or in a distributed manner with different elements spread across several interconnected computing systems or cloud systems. Any type of computing system or other device adapted to perform the methods described herein is suitable. A typical combination of hardware and software can be a general-purpose computing system with a program or other code that, when loaded and executed, controls the computing system so that the computing system performs the methods described herein. Another typical embodiment can include a dedicated integrated circuit or chip. Some embodiments can include a non-transient machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) medium (e.g., a flash drive, an optical disc, a magnetic storage disk, etc.) having one or more lines of code stored thereon that can be executed by a machine so that the machine performs the process described herein.

[0114] Although the present method and / or system has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present method and / or system. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present method and / or system is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but rather, the present method and / or system is intended to include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

[0115] As used herein, “and / or” means any one or more of the items in the list of items. As an example, “x and / or y” means any element of the set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. In other words, “x and / or y” means “one or both of x and y”. As another example, “x, y, and / or z” means any element of the set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. In other words, “x, y, and / or z” means “one or more of x, y, and z”.

[0116] As used herein, the terms “e.g.,” and “for example,” introduce a list of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations.

[0117] As used herein, the terms “coupled,” “coupled to,” and “coupling” refer to structural and / or electrical connections, whether direct or indirect, attached, affixed, connected, joined, fastened, linked, or otherwise mechanically and / or electrically fastened together. As used herein, the term “attached” refers to affixed, coupled, connected, joined, fastened, linked, or otherwise mechanically and / or electrically fastened together.

[0118] As used herein, the terms “circuit” and “circuitry” refer to physical electronic components (i.e., hardware) and any software and / or firmware (“code”) which can configure the hardware, be executed by the hardware, and / or otherwise be associated with the hardware. As used herein, for example, a particular processor and memory can comprise a first “circuit” when executing a first one or more lines of code and can comprise a second “circuit” when executing a second one or more lines of code. As used herein, a circuit system is “operable” and / or “configured” to perform some functionality when the circuit system includes hardware and / or code (if necessary) which is necessary to perform the functionality, regardless of whether the functionality is enabled or disabled (e.g., by a user-configurable setting, factory tune-up, etc.).

[0119] As used herein, control circuitry can include digital and / or analog circuitry, discrete and / or integrated circuitry, microprocessors, DSPs, etc., forming part or all of a controller located on one or more circuit boards and / or software, hardware, and / or firmware for controlling a welding process and / or devices such as power sources or wire feeders.

[0120] As used herein, the terms “processor” and / or “processing circuitry” refer to processing devices, apparatus, programs, circuits, components, systems, and subsystems, whether implemented in hardware, tangible forms of software, or both, and whether or not they are programmable. As used herein, the terms “processor” and / or “processing circuitry” include, but are not limited to, one or more computing devices, hardwired circuits, signal modification devices and systems, devices and machines for controlling systems, central processing units, programmable devices and systems, field programmable gate arrays, application-specific integrated circuits, system-on-chips, systems including discrete elements and / or circuits, state machines, virtual machines, data processors, processing facilities, and any combination of the above. The processor and / or processing circuitry may, for example, be any type of general purpose microprocessor or microcontroller, a digital signal processing (DSP) processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor with an advanced RISC machine (ARM) core, or the like. The processor can be coupled to and / or integrated with a memory device.

[0121] As used herein, the terms “memory” and / or “memory circuitry” refer to computer hardware or circuitry used to store information for use by a processor and / or other digital devices. The memory and / or memory circuitry can be any suitable type of computer memory or any other type of electronic storage medium, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), cache memory, compact disc read-only memory (CDROM), electro-optical memory, magneto-optical memory, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), computer-readable medium, or the like. The memory can include, for example, non-transitory memory, non-transitory processor-readable medium, non-transitory computer-readable medium, non-volatile memory, dynamic RAM (DRAM), volatile memory, ferroelectric RAM (FRAM), first-in, first-out (FIFO) memory, last-in, first-out (LIFO) memory, stack memory, non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), static RAM (SRAM), cache, buffer, semiconductor memory, magnetic memory, optical memory, flash memory, flash memory card, compact flash card, memory card, secure digital memory card, mini card, small form factor card, expansion card, smart card, memory stick, multimedia card, picture card, flash device, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, hard drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), or the like. The memory can be configured to store code, instructions, applications, software, firmware, and / or data, and can be external to the processor, internal to the processor, or both internal and external to the processor.

Claims

1. A material testing system, comprising: a material testing machine including a test sensor, a test actuator, and a test controller configured to control the test actuator to conduct a test method; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium including machine-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: execute a material testing workflow configured to guide a user through setup, execution, or analysis of the test method of the material testing machine, in response to executing the material testing workflow, display on a display screen a first graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a first workflow state of the material testing workflow, the first GUI including a first plurality of input fields, identify one or more first input fields of the first plurality of input fields that are associated with at least one input field mapping, the at least one input field mapping specifying, of a plurality of stored resolution configurations, a resolution configuration that should be used with the one or more first input fields, the resolution configuration including one or more resolution rules according to which imported data can be split into two or more data portions, the at least one input field mapping further specifying which one of the two or more data portions that should be used to populate the one or more first input fields after being resolved according to the one or more resolution rules, and in response to receiving a piece of data imported from a data import device: parsing the piece of data into the two or more data portions according to the one or more resolution rules of the resolution configuration, and populating the one or more first input fields based on the at least one input field mapping.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further including machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: during execution of the material testing workflow, use data populated into the one or more first input fields to execute the test method on the material testing machine or analyze results of the test method executed on the material testing machine.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further including machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: in response to initiation of a resolution configuration setup process: provide, via the display screen, a second GUI through which a user can self-define the resolution configuration, receive, from one or more input devices of the user interface, a first signal representing a first user interaction with the second GUI, the first user interaction defining at least one resolution rule of the one or more resolution rules, and based on the first user interaction, create or modify, in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, machine-readable data representing the resolution configuration and the one or more resolution rules.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further including machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: during the parsing configuration setup process, on the display screen, displaying a representation of the sample data in the second GUI, the first user interaction with the second GUI comprising an interaction with the representation of the sample data displayed in the second GUI, and in response to the first user interaction, displaying, on the display screen, in the second GUI, an annotation of the representation of the sample data, the annotation describing at least one parsing rule.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein, The non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: in response to initiation of a material test workflow setup process: provide, via the display screen, a third GUI through which a user can set up the material test workflow, receive, from the one or more input devices, a second signal representing a second user interaction with the third GUI, the second user interaction defining the at least one input field mapping associated with the one or more first input fields of the material test workflow, and based on the second user interaction, create or modify, in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the material test workflow and the at least one input field mapping.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein, The non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive, via one or more input devices of a user interface, two or more user-created data portions, combine, using an inverse of the one or more parsing rules of the parsing configuration, the two or more user-created data portions into one user-created data portion, and print, via a label printer, a label encoding the one user-created data portion.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein, The parsing configuration comprises a first parsing configuration associated with one or more first expected format standards, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: in response to receiving the piece of data imported from the data import device, verify whether the piece of data conforms to the one or more first expected format standards of the first parsing configuration, in response to successfully verifying that the piece of data conforms to the one or more first expected format standards of the first parsing configuration, split the data into the two or more data portions and populate the one or more first input fields, and in response to failing to successfully verify that the piece of data conforms to the one or more expected format standards of the first parsing configuration, output, via the user interface, a notification, or identify a second parsing configuration comprising second expected format standards to which the data conforms.

8. A material testing system comprising: a data import device; a material testing machine, the material testing machine comprising: a test sensor, a test actuator, and a test controller configured to control the test actuator to conduct a test method; a user interface; and a computing device configured for communication with the user interface, the material testing machine, and the data import device, the computing device comprising: processing circuitry configured to: execute a material testing workflow configured to guide a user through setup, execution, or analysis of the test method of the material testing machine, in response to executing the material testing workflow, display on a display screen of the user interface a first graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a first workflow state of the material testing workflow, the first GUI comprising a first plurality of input fields, identify one or more first input fields of the first plurality of input fields that are associated with at least one input field mapping, the at least one input field mapping specifying a resolution configuration of a plurality of stored resolution configurations that should be used with the one or more first input fields, the resolution configuration comprising one or more resolution rules according to which imported data can be split into two or more data portions, the at least one input field mapping further specifying which of the two or more data portions that should be used to fill in the one or more first input fields after resolution according to the one or more resolution rules, and in response to receiving a piece of data imported from the data import device: split the piece of data into the two or more data portions according to the one or more resolution rules of the resolution configuration, and fill in the one or more first input fields based on the at least one input field mapping.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein, the data import device comprises a barcode reader, a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, a near field communication (NFC) reader, a short-range ultra-high frequency reader, a camera, or a measurement device configured to measure a specimen dimension.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein, the processing circuitry is further configured to: in response to initiation of a resolution configuration setup process: provide a second GUI via the display screen through which a user can self-define the resolution configuration, receive sample data imported from the data import device, display a representation of the sample data in the second GUI on the display screen, receive a first signal from one or more input devices of the user interface, the first signal representing a first user interaction with the representation of the sample data displayed in the second GUI, the first user interaction defining at least one resolution rule of the one or more resolution rules, and in response to the first user interaction, display an annotation of the representation of the sample data in the second GUI on the display screen, the annotation describing the at least one resolution rule.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein, The at least one parsing rule includes a start position and a character length of a substring of the two or more data portions, a particular character appearing before or after the substring, a particular string appearing before or after the substring, or a number of portions into which the imported piece of data is to be divided.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein, The processing circuitry is further configured to: in response to initiation of a material testing workflow setup process: provide, via the display screen, a third GUI through which a user can set up the material testing workflow, receive, from the one or more input devices, a second signal representing a second user interaction with the third GUI, the second user interaction defining the at least one input field mapping associated with the one or more first input fields of the material testing workflow, and based on the second user interaction, create or modify, in memory circuitry, the material testing workflow and the at least one input field mapping.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein, The processing circuitry is further configured to: during the material testing workflow setup process, in response to receiving one or more third signals from the one or more input devices, define a first workflow state of the material testing workflow and a second workflow state of the material testing workflow, the second workflow state being associated with a fourth GUI and a second plurality of input fields.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising a label printer in communication with the computing device, wherein, The processing circuitry is further configured to: receive, via the one or more input devices, two or more user-created data portions, combine, using an inverse of the one or more parsing rules of the parsing configuration, the two or more user-created data portions into one user-created data portion, and print, via the label printer, a label encoding the one user-created data portion.

15. A method comprising: executing, via processing circuitry of a computing device, a material testing workflow configured to guide a user through setup, execution, and analysis of a test method of a material testing machine, the computing device being in communication with the material testing machine, the material testing machine including a test sensor, a test actuator, and a test controller configured to control the test actuator to conduct a test method; in response to executing the material testing workflow, displaying, on a display screen of a user interface, a first graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a first workflow state of the material testing workflow, the first GUI including a first plurality of input fields, and the user interface being in communication with the computing device; identifying, via the processing circuitry, one or more first input fields of the first plurality of input fields associated with at least one input field mapping, the at least one input field mapping specifies a resolution configuration of a plurality of stored resolution configurations that should be used with the one or more first input fields, the resolution configuration comprising one or more resolution rules according to which an imported piece of data can be split into two or more data portions, the at least one input field mapping further specifying which one of the two or more data portions resolved according to the one or more resolution rules should be used to fill in the one or more first input fields; and in response to receiving at the computing device a piece of data imported from a data import device in communication with the computing device: splitting the piece of data into the two or more data portions according to the one or more resolution rules of the resolution configuration, and filling in the one or more first input fields based on the at least one input field mapping.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, the data import device comprises a barcode reader, a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, a near field communication (NFC) reader, a short-range ultra-high frequency reader, a camera, or a measurement device configured to measure a specimen dimension.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising, during execution of the material testing workflow, using the data filled in the one or more first input fields to execute the test method on the material testing machine or to analyze results of the test method executed on the material testing machine.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising: in response to initiation of a resolution configuration setup process: providing a second GUI via the display screen through which a user can self-define the resolution configuration, receiving at the computing device sample data imported from the data import device, displaying on the display screen a representation of the sample data in the second GUI, receiving at the computing device a first signal from one or more input devices of the user interface, the first signal representing a first user interaction with the representation of the sample data displayed in the second GUI, the first user interaction defining at least one resolution rule of the one or more resolution rules, in response to the first user interaction, displaying on the display screen an annotation of the representation of the sample data in the second GUI, the annotation describing the at least one resolution rule, and based on the first user interaction, creating or modifying in memory circuitry of the computing device the resolution configuration and the one or more resolution rules.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising: receiving at the computing device via the one or more input devices two or more smaller user-created data portions; combining via the processing circuitry the two or more smaller user-created data portions into one larger user-created data portion using an inverse of the one or more resolution rules of the resolution configuration; and ​ printing, via a label printer in communication with the computing device, a label encoding the one larger user-created data portion.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein, The parsing configuration includes a first parsing configuration associated with the one or more first expected format standards, the method further comprising: in response to receiving, at the computing device, the piece of data imported from the data import device, verifying, via the processing circuitry, whether the piece of data conforms to the one or more first expected format standards of the first parsing configuration, in response to successfully verifying that the piece of data conforms to the one or more first expected format standards of the first parsing configuration, splitting the data into the two or more data portions and populating the one or more first input fields, and in response to failing to successfully verify that the data conforms to the one or more expected format standards of the first parsing configuration, outputting, via the user interface, a notification, or identifying a second parsing configuration including second expected format standards to which the piece of data conforms.

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