Platform Tester For HMS

Modern electronic production lines rely on automated testing for their products. These tests are performed to ensure the quality of the product and play an important role in the production processes of printed circuit boards. One of the systems that offers these tests is National Instruments whose PXIe-1078 chassis can be outfitted with different modules and inserted in a platform to test printed circuit boards or other electrical components. Currently no dedicated fixture exists to ensure and validate the functionality of these modules. This work aimed to solve this problem by developing a platform test rig that would remove the need for manual verification of a platform's modules. This test rig performs an automated self test on all modules inside the platform and returns a report on the state of the platform. To achieve this, three printed circuit boards were designed. In combination with a test sequence developed in TestStand and National Instrument microcontrollers to control the test process. The resulting platform test rig was fitted into a G12 Virginia Panel Corporation box and offers a way to quickly and reliably verify the state of a platform along with a method of logging test result for tracing and presenting the user with a user-friendly report on the state of the platform with any faults displayed. The platform test rig reduces production downtime by eliminating the need for manual troubleshooting of a potential faulty platform and lowers labour costs by creating a more efficient manufacturing process and reducing waste.