RE: [OT] Automated testing of multimeter board/software...

["Keith Doxey" <ukha@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Andrew


> I work with a product used by telecom engineers to measure/diagnose
faults
> on telecom lines.
>
> At present we are trying to automate some of testing - starting with
basic
> multimeter functions.
> Ideally, we'd like to have a breadboard of resistors and some method
of
> (preferably automatically) switching "configurations".
>
> For example, suppose the breadboard has 10 resistors (R1 - R10), what
we
> currently have to do is:
> Set our terminals to the ends of R1, run our test, store/confirm
measured
> value
> Set our terminals to the ends of R2, run our test, store/confirm
measured
> value
> etc.
>

How do you obtain the test results ?
Using a PC?
Is it commercial software of something written in house?

> Of course this means someone has to manually set the terminals between
> tests.
> Does anyone have any ideas of how we might automate this process such
that
> we could run the suite of tests without the need for manual
intervention.
>

If the software is written in house and you have someone who could add a
few
bit then you can do the following...

Just use a bank of relays to connect the appropriate resistor to the test
leads. The relays could be operated via a parallel port, or a PIC chip
driven by a USB or Serial port. After each set of tests, the appropriate
code is sent to the PIC to oprerate the correct relay for the next test.

I built a tester for KAT5 modules using just that method, except that
everything is under the control of a single PIC16F628A.

Regards

Keith