Production Testing Guidelines
This table recommends guidelines for production testing of wired assemblies. 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
|
