Best in Test Finalists 2010: Board and system test

-- Test & Measurement World, 12/22/2009 12:00:00 PM

Return to the entire list of Best in Test finalists for 2010.

--ATACTS–P Advanced Tactical Agile Communications Test Set–Portable, --Astronics DME
--Medalist i3070 Series 5 In-Circuit Tester, Agilent Technologies
--QuickTest Automated Test System for Set-Top Boxes, Contec
--SMART^E 5200 Satellite Payload Test Environment, Aeroflex Test Solutions
--TS-720 GBATS Automated Test Platform, Geotest—Marvin Test Systems
--URT 5.0 Universal Receiver Tester, Averna


ATACTS–P Advanced Tactical Agile Communications Test Set–Portable
Astronics DME
www.astronics.com

ATACTS-P is the third generation of Astronics DME's Automated Software Defined Reconfigurable Synthetic/Virtual Instrumentation Architecture. The company claims that no other one-man-portable system has the same range of capabilities as the ATACTS-P. The ATACTS-P provides operators, technicians, and maintenance personnel with system-level, front-line test-and-diagnostic capabilities. It combines the capabilities of 15 test instruments in one ruggedized, portable unit.

Current field testing is constrained by cumbersome test equipment. This has created a field testing deficiency that has prevented users from fully verifying operational readiness, which means deficiencies can go undetected until deployment. The ATACTS-P provides 100% operational testing in a fraction of the time previously required. This capability improves overall operational readiness and reduces the number of systems wrongfully returned for repair.

The ATACTS-P provides a comprehensive test environment at the lowest levels of field support, increasing supply and war fighter readiness while reducing warranty, maintenance, repair, and transportation costs.

The unit is priced at less than $40,000.



Medalist i3070 Series 5 In-Circuit Tester
Agilent Technologies
www.agilent.com

The Medalist i3070 Series 5 provides in-depth in-circuit test coverage, even for PCBAs (printed-circuit-board assemblies) above 5000 node counts. Defects can be quickly detected and remedied, significantly reducing the cost of repairs. In addition, the Series 5 lowers the cost of test for manufacturers, with advancements added at no additional costs.

The system improves throughput by up to 30%, saving manufacturers time and money. Its flexibility permits users to plug in external test circuits, such as flash programming, thus leveraging the same i3070 system to provide a greater array of tests on PCBAs, maximizing the ROIC (return on invested capital) of the tester. With its ability to handle a greater range of power-handling capabilities for today's high-powered products, the Series 5 helps to reduce investment on power supply hardware. And the system also offers a suite of technologies for overcoming the test challenges associated with limited access complex PCBAs.

An average price for the system is $250,000.



QuickTest Automated Test System for Set-Top Boxes
Contec
www.gocontec.com

Contec's QuickTest automated STB (set-top box) test system resides in warehouses of cable, telco. and satellite operators. It performs an automated, full function test, ensuring that the STBs that are delivered to subscribers' homes work properly the first time; the system also maximizes asset utilization for providers.

QuickTest provides fully automated parametric tests of all video/audio outputs, a fully automated DVR functionality test, and OCR capability to read STB diagnostic data. The tester eliminates the need for attaching cables to the STB outputs, as it employs custom test fixtures for each model STB under test. The fixture enables changeover to alternate models in a matter of seconds, while also providing an error-proof solution for connectivity to the STB.

QuickTest tests any model and make of STB concurrently (up to 24 on one test station), providing one person with the ability to screen more than 600 STBs per 8-hr shift.

Pricing is done on a per STB-tested fee.



SMART^E 5200 Satellite Payload Test Environment
Aeroflex Test Solutions
www.aeroflex.com

The SMART^E 5200 Satellite Payload Test Environment is a turnkey, hybrid synthetic test environment that provides standard and customizable test programs tailored to the testing of high-performance payloads, which consist of multiple channels, each with up to hundreds of connections between the test system and payload under test. Aeroflex says the SMART^E 5200, which is characterized by flexibility, modularity, and an open architecture, is unique because it provides the highest performance, lowest life-cycle cost, and most complete panel, payload, thermal vacuum, and antenna-range testing for conventional bent-pipe and advanced communications satellites for frequencies up to 40 GHz.

The SMART^E 5200 is a highly integrated commercial-off-the-shelf system with an intuitive user interface. Completely new, yet customer-proven through previous generations systems, SMART^E 5200's measurement library and underlying measurement and calibration technology as well as its diagnostic capabilities have been tested and validated at customer sites worldwide, according to Aeroflex.

Price ranges from $1 million to $1.5 million.



TS-720 GBATS Automated Test Platform
Geotest—Marvin Test Systems
www.geotestinc.com

The TS-720 GBATS (Geotest Basic Automated Test) platform is a PXI-based test system that combines functional and boundary scan test resources. The system incorporates boundary-scan test resources as well as analog and digital resources, enabling customers to deploy functional and structural test techniques with one platform.

Unlike systems in which the addition of boundary scan may be an afterthought and not fully integrated with the test platform, the TS-720 provides fully integrated hardware and software for both the functional and boundary-scan components, including the use of a high-density receiver interface. The system offers an alternative to test methods that rely upon in-circuit test for structural testing, with functional test then being a follow-on test. With the combined test techniques supported by the TS-720, customers have the option to perform structural test and functional test on one platform, potentially negating the need for in-circuit test and saving time and money.

Price: $49,995.



URT 5.0 Universal Receiver Tester
Averna
www.averna.com

URT version 5.0 is a turnkey RF platform for testing the majority of radio, video, and navigation standards between 500 kHz and 2.7 GHz in real time. The instrument can be used to test multiple RF devices for compliance with local broadcast signals in any design lab in the world.

Averna says the URT 5.0 is the only GPS receiver test solution that can generate TMC (traffic message channel) events. Test engineers can create routes and scenarios using built-in maps and point-and-click technology, eliminating the manual entry of navigation waypoints as well as reducing scenario-creation time and field test time and costs. URT 5.0 enables test scenarios that can be too difficult to create using manual methods.

The product also features customizable GPS L1 C/A constellation simulation for up to 12 satellites, as well as digital video generation capabilities for most consumer broadcast standards, including ATSC, DVB-T and ISDB-T.

A complete navigation test system costs between $25,000 and $45,000.