Author Topic: EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig  (Read 5863 times)

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Offline xyzzyTopic starter

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EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig
« on: April 24, 2012, 06:19:14 am »
Dave,

It appears to me that you might be able to save a second or two per uCurrent if you set your Flukes to the correct range manually instead of waiting for them to autorange on every unit.

I expect you probably thought of that somewhere in the process, but it was difficult to tell from the time-lapse video if you ultimately did it that way.

Keep up the good work!
 

Online ejeffrey

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Re: EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2012, 10:06:56 am »
Nice video.

One thing I remember from the last batch is that you had several out-of-spec units.  Do the machine assembled units have better (or worse?) tolerances than the hand assembled batch?
 

Offline IanJ

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Re: EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2012, 10:56:10 am »
Hi all,

I enjoyed this particular blog..........got me to thinking about all the different test jig/rigs I've built over the years.
Some of them just a ways to connect things, others had specialist functions c/w uP's & LCDs etc in them.........I remember our company getting audited on more than one occasion on behalf of prospective clients and them asking me if I had calibration certs for my test jigs...........oops, oh err :o

Ian.
Ian Johnston - Manufacturer of the PDVS2mini & author of the free WinGPIB app.
Website & Online Shop: www.ianjohnston.com
YT Channel (electronics repairs & projects): www.youtube.com/user/IanScottJohnston, Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/IanSJohnston
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2012, 11:00:13 am »
One thing I remember from the last batch is that you had several out-of-spec units.  Do the machine assembled units have better (or worse?) tolerances than the hand assembled batch?

It was almost 100% this time. A couple were right on the border so I kept them aside to have a look at them, and to keep a few spare.
The problems in previous batches have been the 10ohm 0.1% resistors
So I'm not sure if it's just a different (non-dodgy) batch of resistors this time, or it's something in the assembly process. Too much heat in manual soldering perhaps? But why only the 10R resistors?
Given that I had that horrible batch that time, I'm always suspicious of them now.

Dave.
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2012, 11:01:04 am »
It appears to me that you might be able to save a second or two per uCurrent if you set your Flukes to the correct range manually instead of waiting for them to autorange on every unit.
I expect you probably thought of that somewhere in the process, but it was difficult to tell from the time-lapse video if you ultimately did it that way.

Yeah, could shave a fraction off there. I've done that before, but didn't for this video.

Dave.
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2012, 11:07:58 am »
I enjoyed this particular blog..........got me to thinking about all the different test jig/rigs I've built over the years.
Some of them just a ways to connect things, others had specialist functions c/w uP's & LCDs etc in them.........I remember our company getting audited on more than one occasion on behalf of prospective clients and them asking me if I had calibration certs for my test jigs...........oops, oh err :o

Yeah, I wish I'd have kept photo and docs of the countless test jigs I've done.
Calibration and full certification and proving can range from "what are you wasting your time on that for?, we need it NOW!" to spending a month documenting and testing an interconnect cable!

Here is a production test jig for a dev board you might know.


Dave.
 

HLA-27b

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Re: EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2012, 12:49:38 pm »
Does the blue plate carrying the nanoboard slide on the rails?
Any info/reference about those rails please..
 

Offline EEVblog

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Re: EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2012, 12:55:15 pm »
Does the blue plate carrying the nanoboard slide on the rails?
Any info/reference about those rails please..

Yep, it slides into the PCI connector using the handle.
Worked fairly well. Limited life on the corrector of course, but easy to replace on a regular basis.

http://australia.rs-online.com/web/p/linear-guides-rails-carriages/3752439/
http://docs-asia.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/035d/0900766b8035df18.pdf
Maybe not the exact one, but close.

Dave.
 

Offline enz

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Re: EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig
« Reply #8 on: April 24, 2012, 01:34:36 pm »
Ah, the Drylins.

These things are great and quite cheap for this quality.

Here you can find information direct from the manufacturer

http://www.igus.de

The have their website translated in many languages.

Best Regards,
Martin
 

Offline robrenz

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Re: EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2012, 01:45:44 pm »
Misumi is great for configurable components for fixtures, etc. especially handy for people who have no means to modify parts. You can build just about anything right out of their catalogs.
I deal with Misumi USA but this is the international link.
http://www.misumi.co.jp/english/company/office/index.html

HLA-27b

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Re: EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig
« Reply #10 on: April 24, 2012, 01:50:48 pm »
Does the blue plate carrying the nanoboard slide on the rails?
Any info/reference about those rails please..

Yep, it slides into the PCI connector using the handle.
Worked fairly well. Limited life on the corrector of course, but easy to replace on a regular basis.

http://australia.rs-online.com/web/p/linear-guides-rails-carriages/3752439/
http://docs-asia.electrocomponents.com/webdocs/035d/0900766b8035df18.pdf
Maybe not the exact one, but close.

Dave.

Wow thanks Dave, dimensions are exact match to what I am trying to design, height, width, fastener size, everything.
 

Offline JimmyM

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Re: EEVblog #270 - µCurrent Test Jig
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2012, 04:31:50 am »
Just bought a uCurrent shipped to the US. Love the individual testing on the new jig. Great for testing uP sleep state current consumption. Bigger loads can be handled directly by my Fluke 189.

Thanks, Dave. Was looking for an opportunity to contribute.

PS. Looking for way to justify Agilent 1253 or Fluke 287.
 


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