Comprehensive application power tester

• US 8,120,380 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Heiman, Errol C., Davenport, Henry E., Lakey, Jack W.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US09/823,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20020005730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,980 Days
• Field of Search: 324/763, 324/765, 324/158.1, 714/733, 714/734, 714/745, 710/8, 710/10, 219/627, 363/142, 365/201, 361/33, 360/69, 318/434
• US Class Current: 324/764.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/40 Testing power supplies testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10

Abstract

An electronic device power testing method is provided in which applying a nominal voltage to an electronic component, introducing a voltage disruption to the nominal voltage, and repeating the voltage disruption for a specified number of instances is done. The present invention also can be implemented as an electronic device power tester.

Claims

1. A power tester comprising:

a multi-voltage power source having a first voltage output, which is capable of supplying a plurality of selectable voltage levels for a constant power supply voltage at a nominal power supply voltage of an electronic device;

circuitry configured to introduce controllable disturbances into the constant power supply voltage; and

an additional power source having a second voltage output, which is capable of supplying an additional voltage level that is different from the plurality of selectable voltage levels.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the disturbance is a rising pulse having a maximum voltage which is controllable.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the disturbance is a low-going pulse having a minimum voltage being less than the nominal power supply voltage.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the constant power supply voltage is selected from the group of voltages consisting of +5 VDC and +12 VDC.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the additional voltage is +24 VDC.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 including a manually operated user interface used to control the disturbance.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the disturbance is at least one pulse having a duration and a magnitude which are controllable.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the disturbance is a plurality of pulses and a frequency and a number of pulses in the plurality of pulses are controllable.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the disturbance comprises a voltage sequence applied during powering up of the electronic device.

10. A method comprising:

supplying a plurality of selectable voltage levels for a constant power supply voltage at a nominal power supply voltage of an electronic device from a first voltage output of a multi-voltage power source;

introducing a disturbance into the constant power supply voltage;

controlling the disturbance; and

supplying an additional voltage level, that is different from the plurality of selectable voltage levels, from a second voltage output of an additional power source.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the disturbance is a rising pulse having a maximum voltage which is controllable.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the disturbance is a low-going pulse voltage which is controllable.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the constant power supply voltage is selected from the group of voltages consisting of +5 VDC and +12 VDC.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the additional voltage is +24 VDC.

15. The method of claim 10 including receiving control parameters from the user interface.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the disturbance is a pulse having a controllable duration and a controllable magnitude.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the disturbance is a plurality of pulses and a number of the plurality of pulses are controllable.