Automated Test Stand Design

Printed Circuit Board (PCB) functional testing is a critical process in electronics manufacturing. Embedded PCB devices are becoming ubiquitous in products, provide intelligence to everything from basic consumer goods to complex industrial equipment. DMC delivered a turn-key, dual fixture (2-up) PCB Functional test system to help our client validate a new product. Backed by a National Instruments test stand, DMC applied LabVIEW test code and sequencing to automate the production testing...

Electronic Control Units (ECUs) are embedded modules that perform a wide range of essential functions within modern vehicles.  ECUs run firmware (embedded software) that gives ECUs their “intelligence” and governs their behavior and capabilities. The process of installing or updating this firmware on an ECU is commonly referred to as “flashing”. ECU Flashing is an essential process that transforms ECU hardware into a fully functional controller prior to being...

Multiplexing (Muxing) is an operation that selects one of many electrical signals and forwards the input into a single line. Demultiplexing (Demuxing) does the same operation, but in reverse, taking one electrical signal and outputting it onto one of many different wires depending on a selection. Muxing is an effective and relatively inexpensive wiring strategy that could reduce your circuit complexity and save you money. DMC has helped to implement muxing schemes on multiple projects and has witnessed...

DMC developed a complete turnkey appliance test lab for a major manufacturer. The lab consisted of several custom-designed test-stands for conducting a variety of tests on ovens, cooktops, microwaves, clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, and refrigerators. Several transducers were attached to the appliances and data was collected using custom software written by DMC. Both the hardware and software were designed to the customer’s specifications in order to facilitate comparisons to other...

DMC leveraged our established Battery Management System (BMS) Testing Platform to deliver an automated Battery Simulator System to a NASA research group. NASA needed this system to facilitate development of highly specialized battery devices. These battery systems were designed to provide mobile power for advanced electromechanical systems such as Robonaut 2, a dexterous humanoid robot created to perform a wide range of tasks to assist astronauts on the International Space Station. The Battery Simulator...

The Battery Pack Exerciser+Monitor is an automated solution for functional and environmental battery testing, including evaluating charging and discharging performance of electric vehicle battery packs. In a production test environment, a focused functional check of a battery pack can be performed as it reaches the end of a production line. In an R&D environment, performance of a pack can be profiled while the pack is exposed to harsh environmental conditions for extended timeframes. To provide...

DMC designed and developed a custom test station and software for a beverage carbonator line to check for pressure leaks. The client needed a pressure decay test for a sub-assembly valve manifold in a restaurant-grade consumer appliance. DMC worked with the client to replicate and improve upon the manual test procedure, including interactive control and retesting ability. The product delivered was a complete, custom turn-key solution, involving mechanical, electrical and software engineering. Pressure...

DMC was approached by the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago to develop the world’s only Thermoregulatory Chamber designed and built from the ground up specifically for children. DMC worked with the hospital clinicians, researchers, architects, and construction crews to deliver this one-of-a-kind solution.

DMC utilized the DMC Battery Test Platform to develop a Test Control Panel software application to perform automated testing of the Battery Control Unit (BCU) for a Client's automotive lithium ion battery pack. This test system allowed the Client to instate an efficient process for evaluating the operating state of the Battery Control Units in battery packs returned under warranty claims, and thereby greatly reduced the cost of servicing these warranty claims.

DMC utilized the DMC Battery Test Platform to develop a Test Control Panel software application to perform automated testing of a Client's automotive lithium ion battery packs. This test system allowed the Client to instate an efficient process for evaluating the operating state of battery packs returned under warranty claims, and thereby greatly reduced the cost of servicing these warranty claims.

DMC supplied a fully automated end-of-line tester for high-end beverage dispensing valves. The system tests and calibrates each valve to ensure that it meets the client's stringent manufacturing standards. The test stand supplies varying pressure water to the valve throughout the test to simulate different real-world conditions. During each phase of the test, extremely accurate coriolis flowmeters within the test stand continuously monitor the flowrate through each section of the valve to...

DMC delivered a low cost, high density Relay Multiplexer Module for a high channel count test application for a client in the performance racing automotive sector.  DMC provided the client with multiple methods for controlling and operating the device, including a soft front panel interface, a library of LabVIEW drivers, and a DLL package of .NET drivers.

DMC designed and developed a relay-based multiplexing system for a Client's large-channel-count data acquisition system. For this project DMC was required to produce a reliable, yet low-cost, system to make current and voltage measurements using a high accuracy Digital Multi-Meter (DMM) on over 200 signal lines with 1kV isolation.

An international partner requested a small scale Battery Management System (BMS) Test Station for demonstrating the basic battery simulation functions of a much larger test system. DMC responded by building a Demo Test Station that is easily transportable while still fully capable of simulating all the input signals (voltage, current, temperature) to a 6-cell battery pack BMS.

 A battery stack simulator for hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) test systems is being produced by DMC to augment the capabilites of battery management systems (BMS) HiL test systems.  This system leverages DMC's vast hardware and software experience in Electric Vehicle (EV, HEV, PHEV) Battery Pack and BMS Testing.