Basics of electrical tests in product design and engineering
Testing is an important part of the design and production process of any electromechanical device. In addition to understanding the basics of electronics, these devices must be tested to ensure that electricity flows where it should be, and not where it shouldn't. With the electrical design, designers must worry about user safety because the voltages and currents can be very high. With electronics, one is really worried about circuit safety. Voltages are generally not high enough to be dangerous. Fortunately, it is quite simple to test the circuits if it is equipped with some knowledge and the right tools. Read on to learn simple ways to perform electrical tests and incorporate this into the overall production process.
Basic test procedures generally involve anything you can do with a digital multimeter, such as:
Multimeters are usually your first stop on the troubleshooting train. They are useful for diagnosing circuits and collecting simple information such as the characteristics mentioned above. Fortunately, they are easy to find and reasonably cheap. Some other useful tools for basic tests are those that allow you to verify the power supply (the older models are analog; the new ones are digital); These allow you to set a specific value of voltage and / or current and operate your circuit at those levels. An output monitor is also a good tool to have. They connect to the wall and then connect your device to it. The monitor will tell you what voltage, current, power, etc. It is operating. This information is good for determining how much it will cost to operate a particular device.
Use and update of a basic multimeter for multiple test points
If you are going to test the same points over and over again, you may want to update a basic multimeter ... with a rotary switch. They are quite banal devices, but can be used to increase your ability to perform electrical tests. So how could I use a rotary switch? If you have a device with multiple wires (circuits), you'll want to make sure that electricity flows as expected. Usually, we use a multimeter to perform simple connectivity or continuity tests. A basic multimeter will test only one circuit at a time when the user manually touches the circuit with both ends of the test leads. Do you want a simple update? Try welding some test leads from the multimeter to the common wires on a rotary switch (leaving the male end available for plugging into the multimeter). Then, solder the wires for each respective circuit in one of the different switch positions. Crimp the other ends of the cables with plugs and connect them to some type of adapter (such as a Molex connector) that connects to the device you want to test. Now all you have to do is manually turn the knob on the rotary switch and you will get a reading on the multimeter for each of your test points at once without having to manually identify the lead wires each time. This is a great time saver. Design and engineering for electromechanical design.
They want more? You can automate the process using a multiplexer, a data acquisition device (DAQ) and some software (something like Labview and NI Test Stand is a good start for companies that can afford it). A multiplexer is an electronic device that takes multiple input signals and generates a single output signal. In terms of complexity, a rotary switch is at one end of the spectrum and a multiplexer is at the other. A multiplexer ("mux") uses software to choose between the various inputs. The multiplexer is essentially a chip that fits into a printed circuit board and is usually connected to the particular device you are testing through a standard connector. The mux connects to a data acquisition device that connects to the computer through a USB. The data acquisition device takes several input signals (multi-level electrical voltages) and transforms them into digital signals. This creates a much greater ability to test electrical circuits for all types of devices.