Manufacturing Test, Data Gathering, and Analysis

Test Program Set (TPS) development can include many things, but one part of TPS development that is often ignored is data collection and processing. Data collection is essential when attempting to assess improvements in the manufacturing processes for the unit under test (UUT). Using current software technologies, data storage becomes almost a trivial task. Test engineers can easily and efficiently add data collection methods to all phases of TPS development and execution. ActivATE™ Test Platform has many types of data output that will help test engineers collect and process test information easily and efficiently.

Standard Runtime Test Data Output

Test File Options

Test results data can be saved in many different formats including PDF, CSV, HTML, Word, Crystal Reports, and plain text. Changing the test results format and behavior is performed through a simple properties page. Test programs also have a free-form text file output. This is typically used to inform the operator or test engineer about specific test information such as test progress or measurement information. For Example: DMM.............. ON LINE ARB.............. ON LINE SpecAn .......... Failed WARNING: SpecAn may be power off.

Data collection is very important to manufacturing improvement processes. Using the latest Microsoft .Net technologies, ActivATE softawre can easily connect to SQL back-end servers for test data collection. To help improve test quality and reduce test and manufacturing costs, statistical decisions are applied to the test process by specifically targeting the parameters and defects that are likely to cause failures. This process is typically referred to as data mining and includes database systems, statistics, data retrieval, search algorithms, and data visualization. One of the most basic tools for analyzing data is a control chart (or graph). ActivATE has a complementary data package, called DataCAT, that will display test statistics in such a manner that test engineers can immediately compare the sampling distributions and determine test and/or manufacturing anomalies

Report data can also be tied to other data base systems (such as an ERP system) to give test and manufacturing engineers a clearer picture of the test process: