Miltiple bus switching and testing system

• US 6,157,185 A
• Filed: 10/08/1997
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DIT-MCO International Corporation
• Original Assignee: DIT-MCO International Corporation
• Inventors: Stone, James R., Taylor, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): KARLSEN, ERNEST F
• Application Number:
  US08/948,007
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 324/158.1, 324/754, 324/763, 324/765
• US Class Current: 324/537
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31907 Modular tester, e.g. controlling and coordinating instruments in a bus based architecture
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31926 Routing signals to or from the device under test [DUT], e.g. switch matrix, pin multiplexing

Abstract

A modular switching and testing system using multiple buses for testing electrical equipment. A switch module selectively switches the test points of the equipment under test to connection with the buses. A routing matrix switches power supplies and instrumentation to the selected buses. Expansion of the system in the field is possible by adding individual circuit boards to provide more termination points or by adding switching modules to provide additional buses.

Claims

1. A system for allowing a plurality of instruments such as power supplies and meters to be coupled to a plurality of test points for testing of circuitry connected by wire to the test points, said system comprising:

a switching module having a plurality of buses and switching means for selectively connecting selected buses with selected test points, said test points operable to connect by wire to a circuit to be tested, wherein at least one selected test point is simultaneously connected to a plurality of said buses; and

a switching matrix having one or more said instruments connected by wire and means for selectively switching said instruments with said buses to establish electrical connections of said instruments with test points selected by the conditions of said switching means.

2. In a testing system for selectively coupling instruments such as power supplies and meters to test points connected by wire to circuitry that is to be tested by the instruments, a modular multiple bus switching arrangement comprising:

a plurality of circuit boards each having a plurality of switches for selectively connecting selected test points with a plurality of buses to which the switches may be connected;

a switching module which includes between one and N of said circuit boards, where N is an integer greater than one, and wherein at least one test point is simultaneously connected with said plurality of buses; and

a switching matrix having one or more said instruments connected by wire and means for selectively switching said instruments with said buses to establish electrical connections of said instruments with test points selected by the condition of the switches.

3. A modular multiple bus switching arrangement for a testing system for testing circuitry which is connected by wire with test points and which is tested by connecting it with instruments such as power supplies and meters, said switching arrangement comprising:

a first switching module which includes between one and N circuit boards each having a plurality of switches programmed to selectively connect the test points with a first plurality of buses served by said switching module, where N is an integer greater than one, and wherein at least one of said test points is simultaneously connected to at least two of said first plurality of buses;

a second switching module which includes between one and N additional circuit boards each having a plurality of switches programmed to selectively connect the test points with a second plurality of test of buses served by the second switching module; and

a switching matrix having a one or more said instruments connected by wire and means for selectively switching said instruments with said buses to establish electrical connections of said instruments with test points selected by the condition of the switches.

4. The modular multiple bus switching arrangement as recited in claim 3, wherein at least one of said test points is simultaneously connected to at least two of said second plurality of buses.