WireFlow PCB Test Solutions
Hardware and software building blocks
State-of-the-art software tools and hardware building blocks that provide high quality, affordable price, off-the-shelf delivery and easy software integration.
The hardware
The hardware instrumentation is placed in the test fixture connected via needles or connectors to the test object. The choice of which types of instruments used depends upon the boards being tested. They can be power supplies, network devices, voltage meters, electronic loads, relays, communication bus interfaces etc.
WireFlow has a portfolio of hardware building blocks that can be used. Both own developed hardware and hardware from known manufacturers like National Instruments.
To do In Circuit Testing (ICT) you need instruments that can measure resistance, capacitance, inductance, diode characterization etc. and also an extensive switching matrix. A traditional dedicated ICT tester is usually a very large apparatus requiring a huge investment. However, we can use a remote-controlled multimeter (DMM) in conjunction with the WireFlow relay boards to do ICT testing in a much more affordable way.
Hardware examples
Below are some common examples of hardware that can be placed in the test fixture.
Fixed- and remote-controlled power supplies
Power supplies
Power supplies are needed to power both the instrumentation and the board under test. They can have fixed and/or variable voltages, small or large current capabilities, isolated or non-isolated grounding.
WireFlow have several standard supplies in the portfolio that integrate well with the platform. WireFlow has the experience required to design a good power distribution to avoid grounding problems, which can be a problem in test and measurement systems.
Light probes
Light Emitting Diodes, or LEDs, on the board under test can be tested using several different methods. The method, that requires neither any operator interaction nor test points access to the board, is to use a light probe to do a measurement of the light emitting from the LED. We can add cost-effective light probes to the test fixture that can measure light intensity and colour, as well as blinking rates.
A light probe mounted on the pressure frame unit next to the pushrods.
Signal conditioning boards, including three solid-state relay boards
Signal switching and relay boards
It is common that test fixtures need relays to perform signal switching during the testing. It can be necessary to switch an instrument between different test-points, or to apply different loads to the board under test.
We have developed a set of relay boards especially made for compact test fixtures. These relay boards exist in a few variations with different current capabilities and use solid-state relays to provide long life expectancy.
Analog and digital I/O
Analog input devices are commonly used to measure DC voltage levels on the test object like supply voltages and other analog functionality in the construction.
Digital multi meter
Adding a DMM allows testing resistance which is close to doing ICT.
Protocol testing
Communication protocols like RS232, RS485, EtherNet, CAN, USB etc. requires specific hardware to be mounted in the test fixture.
An I/O-box containing CAN and isolated RS232 interfaces.
Programming
Boards with processors need to be programmed with the correct software and configurations before shipped to the customers. For very large volumes the software can be preprogrammed into the processors by the processor manufacturer, but normally the software is programmed at the test station. By adding a JTAG programmer the test fixture can also be used to program software and configurations into the board under test.
The software
We use NI TestStand for developing a robust automated test sequence according to a test specification. TestStand provides extensible plug-ins for creating test reports, database logging, and connectivity to other systems. It also provides the possibility to test a single board, several boards at the same time in parallel or batch.
We can use modules that you have developed in the test system. TestStand can integrate code modules written in most programming languages. When we design code modules for instrument control and other functions, we normally use the NI LabVIEW graphical programming environment.
Once the test sequences are finished, it is possible to use a user-friendly Graphical User Interface, GUI, to control the test system. The GUI is easy to configure and adapt to application specific needs.
Operator interface
Lana is WireFlow’s application for executing test sequences developed in TestStand. The application supports having different execution views depending upon which article is being tested. The installation comes with a standard library of views and it is easy to create completely custom views.
Since Lana is connected to TestStand’s user database, it is possible to enable and disable different parts of the application for different users. The application also has an administrator mode, where it is possible to change settings or run the sequences in debug mode with breakpoints.
Lana comes with an easy to use article configurator interface where articles can be added or removed, and sequences and displays can be connected to the articles.
You can add test instructions in Lana, making it a lot easier for the operator to handle the test.
