Is Thermal Testing a Necessary Evil? – Made Better Here
Automation makes it easier
I am thinking a certain number of test engineers feel that thermal testing is more of a necessary evil than a joyful endeavor. Well, we are here to make things fall as much as possible onto the side of the joyful endeavor.
How does that play out in the real world? My thoughts include several aspects of thermal testing that can make it feel more like a joyful endeavor.
1) Knowing that you are working toward a goal of making tested, and reliable hardware can make it feel like valued work. People don’t enjoy making junk.
2) Not following an arbitrary script but doing real verification, tracking results with the ability to easily analyze and not a lot of manual parsing of data also makes it more enjoyable and improve quality.
3) When done correctly automating a process will produce easier, more consistent good results.
4) Traceability – Providing a detailed written report without spending hours toiling over numbers easily proves that the job was done correctly. Thermal testing is all about verification, Right?
5) Saving money is generally a good thing, hopefully, more profits, eventually more for the people who do the work too.
The Synergy Nano temperature controller helps to achieve the above goals with automation plus precise temperature control. Just one instrument is required to produce printed results whereas in many cases these results might require several expensive pieces of equipment and hands-on data manipulation. The Synergy Nano has easy-to-use interfaces that can provide communication over Ethernet, serial, GPIB front panel, and other means. Logging several DUT temperature points is easy. Ramp and dwell profiles can be loaded by a user or by computer then stored/transferred as needed. Remote monitoring in real-time via a web server is easy as well. FTP data transfer or front panel graphing and thumb drive capture add flexibility. Logging of setpoints, numerous data options, even PID information or system, and DUT temperatures complete the picture.
A real big-time saver and the main point of this conversation is quickly producing documented results. Synergy Nano’s ability to print PDFs of test results and send that plot directly to a network printer or email in real-time without a PC adds real value.
Several of the below-detailed automation features also expedite the process of making accurate test results happen quickly.
Here are several useful links to some of the application notes/videos with additional information about automating your thermal testing with the Synergy Nano:
Logging
Thermocouple data acquisition/logging with UUT modules
Synergy Server for automating data collection among several test stations
Synergy Controller Cloud Storage
Web touch Web Server demo VIDEO
Manual data graphing Demo VIDEO
Part 1 of Temperature Profile wizard
Part 2 of Temperature Profile wizard
If you are interested in more information on how to make your thermal testing better faster, more efficient, and maybe even more fun too, then…
