William J. Drago

Automatic Test and Measurement Solutions

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Automatic Test System for Personal RF Safety Monitor


This ATE system calibrates and tests a personal RF safety monitor. A simple pass/fail indicator is implemented allowing the use of semi-skilled labor while comprehensive data sheets provide detailed performance information on each unit processed. All test data is permanently stored for later analysis.

This R&D 100 Award winning product is a compact, beeper size device worn by personnel working in or around potentially hazardous RF fields. Electromagnetic energy in the radio frequency spectrum becomes dangerous when the fields are strong enough to cause heating of human tissue. To prevent injury, the safety monitor continuously measures and logs the field levels it encounters and alarms when field strength exceeds established safety standards. There are several different standards in use throughout the world and there is a corresponding safety monitor model for each.

Calibrating and testing this product in a production environment required an easy to use and reliable ATE system. A standard PC is used to control all test equipment and to record and print data. The software is written in Agilent's VEE Pro (formerly HP VEE) and test equipment is controlled via GPIB. All errors are trapped for graceful failure recovery.

The ATE software prompts the operator for name, unit serial and model number. Because there's a different model for each standard, the software will set test limits and calibration algorithms in accordance with model number. All operator instructions and setup diagrams are displayed on screen eliminating the need for paper procedures. Once calibration and test are complete (approximately 5 minutes) the operator is given a clear indication of overall pass/fail status. A detailed data sheet is automatically printed showing the results of all tests performed. All test data is then permanently stored to disk. ATE data can be recalled and reprinted at any time. In addition, the ATE software allows historical data to be manipulated and graphed to aid in statistical process control.
 

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Last modified: 01/06/2004