Modular/re-configurable test platform

• US 6,647,526 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Holder, Michael, Wojcik, James
• Primary Examiner(s): MOISE, EMMANUEL LIONEL
• Application Number:
  US09/609,556
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 714/743, 714/27, 714/732, 714/736, 714/734, 714/737, 714/738, 714/37, 714/724, 714/32, 324/73.1, 324/158.1, 324/754, 324/765, 702/121, 702/118
• US Class Current: 714/743
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2733 Test interface between tester and unit under test

Abstract

A system and method is provided for testing industrial control modules. Input and output stimulus signals, communication lines, measurement device lines and relay contacts are provided at a tester interface panel. This allows for a test developer to configure the relay contacts in any way that the developer desires to provide appropriate connections of stimulus, communications and measurements for a given industrial control module. The switching of the relays between a normally closed position and a normally open position can be controlled by output modules coupled to a computer. The relays can be insertable and releasable in a socket for easy fault isolation and replacement. Furthermore, the same relays or similar relays can be employed for both low current measurements and high power stimulus.

Claims

1. A system for testing industrial control modules having at least one input, the system comprising:

a tester interface panel;

an input stimulus device coupled to the tester interface panel, the input stimulus device adapted to provide at least one input stimulus signal; and

at least one relay including a normally open contact, a common contact, and a normally closed contact coupled to the tester interface panel wherein the at least one relay is configurable to couple the at least one input stimulus signal to the at least one input.

2. The system of claim 1, the at least one relay comprising a plurality of relays and the at least one input comprising a plurality of inputs wherein any of the relays are configurable to be coupled to any of the plurality of inputs.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein any two of relay contacts selected from the group consisting of the open contact, the common contact and the normally closed contact are configurable to be coupled to the at least one input.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication device coupled to the tester interface panel, the communication device being adapted to provide a communication link between the system and an industrial control module.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a test fixture having a test fixture interface portion adapted to mate to the tester interface panel and a test fixture wiring portion adapted to provide configurability to the at least one relay.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a portion of the test fixture wiring is coupled to a personality module wherein the test fixture is adapted to mechanically and electrically connect to a family of control modules and the personality module is adapted to provide electrical connections for different control module types of the family of control modules.

7. The system of claim 1, the at least one relay being controlled by an industrial output control module, the industrial output control module providing switching of the at least one relay between a normally closed state and a normally open state.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data acquisition system coupled to the tester interface panel, the data acquisition system being adapted to measure the voltage level of the at least one input stimulus signal.

9. The system of claim 1, the at least one relay being releasably engageable in a socket.

10. A system for testing industrial control modules having at least one output signal, the system comprising:

a tester interface panel;

a measurement instrument coupled to the tester interface panel, the measurement instrument being adapted to measure the at least one output signal;

an electronic load device;

at least one power relay including a normally open contact, a common contact, and a normally closed contact coupled to the tester interface panel; and

at least one analog relay including a normally open contact, a common contact, and a normally closed contact coupled to the tester interface panel wherein the at least one power relay is configurable to couple the load to the at least one output signal and the at least one analog relay is configurable to couple the measurement instrument to the at least one output signal.

11. The system of claim 10, the at least one analog relay comprising a plurality of analog relays and the at least one output comprising a plurality of outputs wherein any of the analog relays are configurable to be coupled to any of the plurality of outputs.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein any two relay contacts selected from the group consisting of the open contact, the common contact and the normally closed contact of the at least one analog relay are configurable to be coupled to the at least one input.

13. The system of claim 10, the at least one power relay comprising a plurality of power relays and the at least one output comprising a plurality of outputs wherein any of the power relays are configurable to couple the electronic load to any of the plurality of outputs.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein any two relay contacts selected from the group consisting of the open contact, the common contact and the normally closed contact of the at least one power relay are configurable to couple the load to the at least one output.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a communication device coupled to the tester interface panel, the communication device being adapted to provide a communication link between the system and an industrial control module.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a test fixture having a test fixture interface portion adapted to mate to the tester interface panel and a test fixture wiring portion adapted to provide configurability to the at least one relay.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein a portion of the test fixture wiring is coupled to a personality module, the test fixture being adapted to mechanically and electrically connect to a family of control modules and the personality module being adapted to provide electrical connections for different control module types of the family of control modules.

18. The system of claim 10, the at least one analog relay and the at least one power relay being controlled by at least one industrial output control module, the at least one industrial output control module providing switching of the at least one analog relay and the at least one power relay between a normally closed state and a normally open state.

19. The system of claim 10, the at least one analog relay and the at least one power relay being releasably engageable in a socket.

20. The system of claim 19, the at least one analog relay and the at least one power relay being of the same relay type.

21. A system for testing industrial control nodules having at least one of a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs, the system comprising:

a tester interface panel;

an input stimulus device coupled to the tester interface panel, the input stimulus device adapted to provide a plurality of input stimulus signals;

an electronic load coupled to the tester interface panel;

a measurement instrument coupled to the tester interface panel, the measurement instrument being adapted to measure the at least one of a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs;

a plurality of power relays each including a normally open contact, a common contact, and a normally closed contact coupled to the tester interface panel; and

a plurality of analog relays each including a normally open contact, a common contact, and a normally closed contact coupled to the tester interface panel wherein any of the plurality of power relays are configurable to couple one of the electronic load and any of the plurality of input stimulus signals to any of the at least one of a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs and any of the plurality of analog relays are configurable to couple the measurement instrument to any of the at least one of a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a communication device coupled to the tester interface panel, the communication device being adapted to provide a communication link between the system and an industrial control module that is being tested.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a test fixture having a test fixture interface portion adapted to mate to the tester interface panel and a test fixture wiring portion adapted to provide configurability to at least one of the plurality of analog relays and the plurality of power relays.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein a portion of the test fixture wiring is coupled to a personality module, the test fixture being adapted to mechanically and electrically connect to a family of control modules and the personality module being adapted to provide electrical connections for different control module types of the family of control modules.

25. The system of claim 21, the plurality of analog relays and the plurality of power relays being controlled by at least one industrial output control module, the at least one industrial output control module providing switching of the plurality of analog relays and the plurality of power relays between a normally closed state and a normally open state.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of analog relays and the plurality of power relays are releasably engageable in a socket.

27. The system of claim 26, the plurality of analog relays and the plurality of power relays being of the same relay type.

28. A method for testing industrial control modules having at least one of an input and an output, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a tester interface panel;

coupling input stimulus signals, output stimulus signals, measurement instrument lines and relay contacts to the tester interface panel, the relay contacts including a normally open contact, a common contact, and a normally closed contact for each relay coupled to the tester interface panel;

configuring at least one relay of the each relay coupled to the tester interface panel so that at least one of the input stimulus signals, output stimulus signals and measurement instrument lines are coupleable to the at least one of an input and an output; and

providing a control system for moving the at least one relay between a normally closed state and a normally open state for coupling the at least one of the input stimulus signals, output stimulus signals and measurement instrument lines to the at least one of an input and an output.

29. The method of claim 28, the step of coupling input stimulus signals, output stimulus signals, measurement instrument lines and relay contacts to the tester interface panel further comprising coupling communication lines to the tester interface panel for providing a communication link between a test system and a control module that is being tested.

30. The method of claim 29, the step of configuring at least one relay of the each relay coupled to the tester interface panel, so that at least one of the input stimulus signals, output stimulus signals and measurement instrument lines are coupleable to the at least one of an input and an output comprising wiring the at least one relay to the at least one of the input stimulus signals, output stimulus signals and measurement instrument lines and wiring the at least one relay to the at least one of an input and an output.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising wiring a first portion of the tester interface panel to electrically connect to a family of control modules and wiring to a second portion of the test fixture interface panel to electrical connect to different control module types of the family of control modules.

32. A system for testing industrial control modules having at least one of an input and an output, the system comprising:

means for providing accessibility to input stimulus signals, output stimulus signals, measurement instrument lines and relay contacts, the relay contacts including a normally open contact, a common contact, and a normally closed contact for each relay;

means for configuring at least one relay of the each relay, so that at least one of the input stimulus signals, output stimulus signals and measurement instrument lines are coupleable to the at least one of an input and an output; and

means for moving the at least one relay between a normally closed state and a normally open state for coupling the at least one of the input stimulus signals, output stimulus signals and measurement instrument lines to the at least one of an input and an output.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising means for communicating between the system and a control module that is being tested.

34. The system of claim 32, further comprising means for interfacing to a family of control modules and means for interfacing to different control module types of the family of control modules.