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AFT

The AFT, with its digital and analog versions, is a highly versatile, modular system for the functional testing of any type of equipment or electronic board.

Description

The AFT, with its digital and analog versions, is a highly versatile, modular system for the functional testing of any type of equipment or electronic board. Based on high and low voltage loads and simulation, the AFT can simulate the end use of a device in order to test its correct operation; it can generate and acquire waveforms and measure a wide range of parameters, such as voltage, current, frequency, resistance, capacity, and impedance. The test programs are written in a guided table format. This equipment is unique on the market because it offers a low cost option, is fully modular to cater to customers’ specific needs and learning about its operation and programming is quick. Even companies without specialist technicians can test their products using this equipment and with just a few hours’ training.

The AFT can:

  • Perform automatic load enable and disable tests, with established sequences and times
  • Define accurate on and off cycles, measuring electrical parameters of the tested device, such as voltage, current, resistance, capacity, frequency and impedance
  • Measure and acquire thermal parameters - temperature, pressure, humidity - using appropriate transducers
  • Measure mechanical and other chemical/physical parameters, to interact with during testing, using appropriate transducers
  • Input analog or digital signals to the device being tested
  • Stimulate the device being tested with voltages or currents
  • Acquire waveforms at test points
  • Acquire camera images, to test displays or display devices
  • Enable fixtures, measurement sensors or other actuators needed to automatically operate push buttons or keyboards on the device being tested with the AFT


The AFT is a highly versatile instrument, as it can be used to test different products. 
The AFT equipment is fully modular and expandable: from a minimum system, its potential can be expanded based on testing requirements.

AFT is available in the following versions:

AFT00
AFT05K
AFT09
AFT09P
AFT11
AFT-Ag

Datasheet

PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE CHARACTERISTICS

AFT programming software features:

  • A test programme with a guided table format
  • An extremely simple programming language, for an immediate use of equipment
  • Very quick test programme development times: up to 30 times less than the time needed to programme a conventional machine
  • Setting tools: Step by step, Breakpoint, Loop, On Error goto, etc.
  • Immediate diagnostics for all measurements
  • Saved, printable reports for each tested device
  • Utility Wiring, to provide automatic documentation of connections to the dedicated fixture   


The AFT test programme consists of a number of STEPS performed in a top-down sequence, until the label END step or table end. Waiting times can be selected before testing. 
Each programme STEP takes up a table row and can manage all system resources.
During writing and/or debugging, all required steps can be queued, a step can be added between two existing steps, or it can be deleted or edited.
Ongoing syntax analysis means that command errors are avoided. Test results are always saved, for immediate, recorded diagnostics. The system features a programmable self-test, which can be launched when and as required. Utilities are implemented to create automatic fixture documentation, for example.
An example is shown below.

 

TYPICAL HARDWARE CONFIGURATION OF A TESTING SYSTEM WITH AFT EQUIPMENT

An AFT testing system typically consists of 4 items:

  • A suitably configured personal computer
  • National Instruments boards with interface, measurement, waveform generation and oscilloscope functions
  • AFT equipment with:
    • electronic boards to control or stimulate low voltage loads of up to 48V and high voltage loads of up to 400V
    • optically isolated inlets for high and low voltage measurements
    • Open Collector service outlets
    • low and high voltage matrices for connections with multimeters or other measuring instruments
  • Cables connecting the AFT system and device to test, with the possibility to add fixtures, sensors or other electromechanical devices between the AFT connections and the device to test


AFT00 block diagram
AFT05 block diagram
AFT09 block diagram
AFT11 block diagram