Production Testing Guidelines
This table provides guidelines for production testing wired assemblies of various types at three different quality standards. These guidelines are not meant to replace the various ASME, ASTM, DOD:MIL, NASA, UL, NEC, ITA, ANSI, and DIN test standards.
|
Type of Assembly
|
Minimal Testing |
Additional Testing for Good Practice |
Additional Testing for Critical Quality
|
| IDC Ribbon Cable Assemblies |
- Opens and shorts testing (threshold levels not critical)
|
- Repetitive testing (with a test time <1 sec) eliminates passing by “wiggle and jiggle”
|
- Low resistance (<1.2X nominal value)
- High voltage (1000Vdc is often used on ribbon cable with 0.050″ pitch)
|
| High Volume Automotive and Appliance Harnesses |
- Single pass opens and shorts (threshold levels not critical)
|
- Repetitive testing (<1 sec intermittents)
- Crimp force monitoring
- Detecting presence of mechanical features such as locks, seals, and fasteners
|
- Push-back tests for contacts in connectors
- Low resistance (<1.2X nominal value)
- High voltage (1000VDC) if possibility of air gaps <.1″
|
| Data Cables |
- Opens and shorts testing (threshold levels not critical)
|
- Repetitive testing (<1 sec intermittents)
|
- Low resistance (<1.2X nominal value)
- High voltage (up to 1000VDC depending on spacing)
|
| Network Patch Cables and High-Speed Twisted-Pair Data Cables |
- Opens and shorts testing (threshold levels not critical)
|
- Twisted-pair testing for double miswires
|
- CAT-5/6 (NEXT and FAR attenuation) testing or as specified
|
| Assemblies with Components such as Diodes, Resistors, Capacitors, and ICs |
- Components recognized if missing and polarity of diodes detected
|
- Wrong components detected. Accuracy sufficient to detect passive components with wrong value
|
- Components measured to within specified tolerance
- Functional testing if active components present
|
| Military/Aerospace Assemblies |
- Manual ring-out (continuity) tests with ohmeter measuring values
- High voltage tests of each conductor to shield
|
- Opens and shorts testing
- Low resistance (<1.2X nominal value)
- High voltage (1500VDC or 1000VAC)
|
- Special requirements testing as specified by customer
|
