Electronic Test Stations

Electronics test stations can be found in every electronic manufacturing, repair and distribution center. They can range from a meter that checks the condition of a battery all the way to a large van that puts an F-16 through its electronics and fire control paces. Because there is such a large range of requirements for such testing there are many different software solutions available today. The most popular electronics testing software options are very customizable and can be configured to work in almost any development or manufacturing environment.

In average terms, a test station consists of a cabinet housing the required test equipment and power supplies, a fixture the ITA (Interface Test Adapter) to connect the DUT (Device under Test) to the station, a PC or dedicated computer loaded with test station software, and a display and keyboard for operator interface. Data gathered during testing can be fed into manufacturing management software for ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning).

In most situations the operator places the DUT onto the ITA fixture and completes any other required interface connections. The specific identity of the DUT, for tracking purposes, can be entered manually via the keyboard, but more likely scanned by a barcode reader or fixed RFID device. After initiation by the operator, the testing software commences the test cycle, calling up the required test equipment, routing the connections and recording the result. The signal parameters, i.e. frequency, level, data rate, etc are under control of the testing software using API (Application Programming Language)

The previous paragraph described a general purpose station that can be quickly modified to test different boards or modules by changing the ITA and the software. The test equipment roster would include a wide enough range to accommodate different DUT requirements. High production volumes usually call for more dedicate test stations with narrowly prescribed functions and leaner equipment rosters. These are usually called ATE (Automated Test Equipment).

Test stations for digital products are significantly different from those for analog signals. Suppliers of end-use products such as radios, military electronics and electro-mechanical products also develop and sell dedicated testing systems to high volume users to ensure reliability and extend product life. The ‘Green’ revolution is encouraging high-efficiency electronic test stations that can provide faster results with less energy consumption.