Simplifying Test Creation
Creating test programs can be a difficult or tedious task. Whether making mistakes while manually imputing data, struggling to convert the data into a usable format, or trying to use information only available on a harness drawing, the difficulties of test program creation can give some users a headache.
Test programs are crucial to the testing of cables. A test program must be created for every type of cable analyzed by the tester.
These are the steps we’ve seen most often in the test creation process.
Receiving data and specs for a cable
Data and specs can arrive in multiple different formats. Sometimes they are found on harness drawings or listed on Excel data sheets. This information can be difficult to convert to a test program format.
Fixturing is obtained to attach the cable to the tester
Not every cable shop will have the right fixtures immediately available to connect the cable to the tester. Sometimes fixtures are stored in cabinets and it takes time to sort through them. Other times a new cable must be built from scratch. Also, fixturing must be considered when creating the test program. (See 5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself About Fixturing.)
Cable and fixturing data and specs are converted into a format that a Cirris tester can read
One of the challenges of creating a test program is converting the data into a format the tester can use to test cables. This is because not all cable data and specs arrive in the same format (as stated above).
The user verifies the test program, including the fixturing
After the specs have been added, the user verifies that all the information is correct. Sometimes this is done by testing known good and bad cables to make sure the test program reports the correct result. Other times the user goes through each instruction and compares it to the original data and specs. Verifying a test program can be a slow, tedious process.
Documenting the process
From connecting the fixturing to pressing the right button to begin the test, the process needs to be documented for the shop records and to provide testing instructions for users.