Quantifying circuit performance
First Claim
1. A method of determining whether a performance characteristic of an item of equipment is within a specified performance limit, comprising the steps of:
- setting a performance limit data corresponding to said specified performance limit;
obtaining performance data corresponding to a performance characteristic of the equipment at an extremity of a predetermined range of environmental conditions, said equipment maintained within a predetermined set of environmental conditions;
iteratively searching said performance data for a peak performance value data within said predetermined range of environmental conditions; and
comparing said peak performance value data with said performance limit data to determine whether a peak performance value represented by said peak performance value data is within said specified performance limit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to automated testing of equipment items of the electronic, electrical, and optical type over a range of environmental conditions. A testing apparatus operates to vary an operating environment of an item of test equipment between a lower extreme and an upper extreme, and iteratively searches each test parameter for a peak response. The peak response is compared with a response limit specified in a customer specification or an international standard. The apparatus assesses a design robustness of the equipment item by comparing a set of measured responses with a maximum range of responses specified in the customer specification or international standard. The apparatus produces a data output for each performance parameter tested, identifying performance parameters which are outside the customer specification, or which have insufficient design robustness.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of determining whether a performance characteristic of an item of equipment is within a specified performance limit, comprising the steps of:
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setting a performance limit data corresponding to said specified performance limit; obtaining performance data corresponding to a performance characteristic of the equipment at an extremity of a predetermined range of environmental conditions, said equipment maintained within a predetermined set of environmental conditions; iteratively searching said performance data for a peak performance value data within said predetermined range of environmental conditions; and comparing said peak performance value data with said performance limit data to determine whether a peak performance value represented by said peak performance value data is within said specified performance limit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of determining a performance characteristic of an item of equipment, said method comprising the steps of:
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(i) placing the equipment item in a controllable environment; (ii) maintaining the equipment at a first set of environmental conditions; (iii) monitoring a performance of said equipment item at said first set of environmental conditions; (iv) maintaining said equipment at a second set of environmental conditions; (v) monitoring the performance of said equipment item at said second set of environmental conditions; (vi) estimating a peak performance of said equipment item; (vii) determining an environmental condition corresponding to a said estimated peak performance; (viii) maintaining said equipment item at said environmental condition corresponding to said estimated peak performance; and (ix) monitoring an actual performance of said equipment item at said environmental condition corresponding to said estimated peak performance. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19)
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9. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said step of estimating a peak performance of said equipment item comprises the steps of:
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operating said equipment item at said first set of environmental conditions; operating said equipment item at said second set of environmental conditions; and operating said equipment item at a third set of environmental conditions between said first and second environmental conditions.
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14. A method of processing performance data corresponding to a plurality of performance parameters of an item of equipment, comprising the steps of:
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setting a performance limit data for each performance parameter;
for each performance parameter,obtaining performance data at an ambient environmental condition; obtaining performance data at a lower environmental condition; obtaining performance data at an upper environmental condition; comparing said obtained performance data with said performance limit data; if said performance data exceeds said performance limit data, recording a fail test data; if said performance data is within said performance limit data, estimating a peak performance data; if said peak performance data is within said performance limit data, recording a pass test data; if said peak performance data exceeds said performance limit data, obtaining an estimated environmental data corresponding to said estimated peak performance data; obtaining a performance data at an environmental condition corresponding to said estimated environmental condition; comparing said performance data at said estimated environmental condition with said performance limit data; and if said performance data at said estimated environmental condition is within said performance limit data, recording a pass test data.
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15. Apparatus for performance testing an item of equipment, said apparatus comprising:
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means for controlling an environment; test means for testing a set of performance parameters of said equipment item; means for recording results of a set of said performance parameter tests implemented by said testing means; and means for analysing said results of performance parameter tests; wherein said test means operates to automatically implement a test routine to test said performance parameters at a lower environment condition, an upper environment condition, and an ambient environment condition between said upper and lower environment conditions, and said analysing means automatically analyses said test results to identify performance parameters which lay outside predefined specified performance limits. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. Apparatus for determining whether a performance characteristic of an item of equipment is within a specified performance limit, comprising:
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means for setting a performance limit data corresponding to said specified performance limit; means for maintaining said equipment item within a predetermined set of environmental conditions; means for obtaining performance data corresponding to a performance characteristic of the equipment at an extremity of a predetermined range of environmental conditions, said equipment maintained within a predetermined set of environmental conditions; means for iteratively searching said performance data for a peak performance value data within said predetermined range of environmental conditions; and means for comparing said peak performance value data with said performance limit data to determine whether a peak performance value represented by said peak performance value data is within said specified performance limit.
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Specification