Automatic test system and method for programmable power supply

Abstract

The automatic test system comprises a primary direct current source, an industrial personal computer, a tested power supply, an electronic load and a universal meter, the tested power supply is the programmable power supply, the primary direct current source is connected with the input end of the tested power supply and used for supplying power to the tested power supply, and the output end of the tested power supply is connected with the electronic load and used for supplying power to the electronic load. The universal meter is connected to the output end of the tested power supply and is used for measuring the output voltage of the tested power supply; the primary direct current source, the tested power supply, the electronic load and the universal meter are respectively connected with the industrial personal computer, and the industrial personal computer realizes control and data backward reading of the tested power supply, the electronic load, the universal meter and the primary direct current source through a communication interface. Compared with a manual test method, the automatic test system provided by the invention can realize automatic test by controlling the primary source, the electronic load, the programmable power supply and the universal meter only by setting up a test environment by a tester, so that the test efficiency is improved, and the labor cost is reduced at the same time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of power supply testing, and in particular relates to an automatic testing system and method for a program-controlled power supply. Background Art

[0002] A power module is a device that adds a certain range of voltage to the input end and outputs a relatively stable voltage value at the output end through internal conversion to drive the external load. A programmable power supply is a power module that can adjust the output voltage through the communication port and monitor the output voltage and current at the same time.

[0003] At present, the test method of programmable power supply is generally to manually build the test environment, manually adjust the primary source, electronic load, multimeter and other instruments, manually send voltage adjustment commands and acquisition commands, and manually fill in the test data into the test form one by one. This traditional manual test method consumes a lot of human resources, takes a long time to test, has a slow test speed, and seriously affects the test efficiency.

[0004] "Automated testing of DC / DC power modules, Hybrid Microelectronics, 2006, 17(4), p31-35" This paper introduces an automated testing system for DC / DC power modules developed based on HP VEE language. This method issues acquisition commands to the data collector to read the output voltage and current data of the power module under various working voltages. This method can realize functions such as automatic control of various instrumentation and automatic acquisition of test data, but it requires an additional data collector, which makes the system complex and costly. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an automated testing system and method for a programmable power supply, so as to overcome the problems of low efficiency and easy error in the manual testing of the existing power supply module.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: An automatic test system for a programmable power supply comprises a primary DC source, an industrial computer, a power supply under test, an electronic load and a multimeter, wherein an input terminal on the power supply under test is connected to the primary DC source, and an output terminal of the power supply under test is connected to the electronic load and the multimeter; The power supply under test is a program-controlled power supply; The power supply under test, electronic load, multimeter and primary DC source are all connected to an industrial computer, which controls and reads back data of the power supply under test, electronic load, multimeter and primary DC source through a communication interface.

[0007] Furthermore, the programmable power supply and the industrial computer are connected using one of the CAN bus, RS422 bus and RS485 bus. The industrial computer sends commands through the bus to adjust the output voltage of the programmable power supply. At the same time, the programmable power supply reports the collected output voltage and current information to the industrial computer through the bus.

[0008] Furthermore, the multimeter is connected in parallel with the programmable power supply, and the multimeter measures the output voltage of the programmable power supply.

[0009] Furthermore, the multimeter and the industrial computer are connected by an RS232 bus, and the industrial computer reads the measured value of the multimeter by sending and receiving commands via the bus.

[0010] Furthermore, the primary DC source is used to power the programmable power supply. The primary DC source and the industrial computer are connected by a USB bus. The industrial computer sends commands through the bus to adjust the voltage of the primary source, thereby testing the output stability of the programmable power supply under different input voltages.

[0011] Furthermore, the electronic load is used as a load of the programmable power supply, and the electronic load and the industrial computer are connected by a USB bus. The industrial computer sends commands through the bus to adjust the current of the electronic load, thereby testing the output stability of the programmable power supply under different loads.

[0012] In a second aspect, a method for automatically testing a programmable power supply is provided, comprising the following steps: The industrial computer sends commands through the bus to set the output voltage and current limit value of the primary DC source, the output voltage of the programmable power supply, and the load value of the electronic load; The industrial computer sends commands through the bus to control the electronic load to remove or carry load; Under different input voltages, different load conditions, and different set output voltages, the industrial computer reads the collected voltage value inside the programmable power supply and the actual voltage value measured by the multimeter; The obtained test data is saved, and the test data is automatically interpreted according to the test requirements to determine whether the tested power supply is qualified.

[0013] Furthermore, before using the industrial computer to set the primary DC source, the programmable power supply, and the electronic load, the communication port of the industrial computer is initialized.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects: The present invention provides an automated testing system for a programmable power supply, a primary direct current source connected to an input end of a power supply under test, an electronic load connected to an output end of the power supply under test, and a multimeter used to measure the output voltage of the power supply under test. The primary direct current source, the power supply under test, the electronic load and the multimeter are respectively connected to an industrial control computer, and the industrial control computer is used to collect data and issue instructions to other devices. Compared with a manual testing method in which a tester needs to track the entire process and conduct fixed-point testing, manually operate instruments and equipment, and record test results, which consumes a lot of manpower, the automated testing system provided by the present invention only requires the tester to set up a testing environment, and can realize automatic testing by controlling the primary source, the electronic load, the programmable power supply, and the multimeter, thereby improving testing efficiency and reducing labor costs.

[0015] The invention provides an automatic testing method for a programmable power supply. An industrial computer is used to set a primary direct current source, a power supply under test and an electronic load, so as to realize automatic testing of the power supply under test under various working conditions and automatically save data. By collecting data from the power supply under test and a multimeter, the collected internal voltage value of the power supply under test, the set output voltage value of the power supply under test and the collected actual voltage value measured by the multimeter are used to interpret the test result according to the test requirements, so as to judge whether the power supply under test is qualified. Compared with a manual testing method in which a tester needs to write a test record by hand, and there are problems of irregular and error-prone records, the automatic testing method proposed by the invention records the test results and saves them in a time-tabulated manner, so as to ensure the standardization and traceability of the test records. The software flow of the invention is reasonable, and the automatic testing of a power supply system is realized, so as to have a good application prospect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an automated test system for a programmable power supply in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A software flow chart of an automated testing method for a program-controlled power supply in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 It is the parameter setting interface of the automated testing software in the embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is the test interface of the automated test software in the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0019] It should be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "include" and "comprises" indicate the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0020] It should also be understood that the terms used in the present specification are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used in the present specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0021] It should be further understood that the term "and / or" used in the present description and the appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0022] Glossary Primary DC source: usually refers to a primary DC power supply, which is a power supply device that directly converts alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). The working principle of a primary DC power supply is based on a rectifier circuit, which can convert both the negative and positive half cycles of the AC into the positive part of the DC, thereby obtaining a DC output. In practical applications, a primary DC power supply usually also includes a filter circuit to eliminate clutter and noise in the power supply to output a more stable DC power; A primary DC source can directly provide power to devices that require DC power without the need for additional conversion equipment. It has the characteristics of simple structure and high conversion efficiency. The voltage and current output range of a primary DC power supply is usually wide, which can meet the power requirements of different devices.

[0023] Electronic load: It is an electronic device used to simulate actual load conditions. It can consume electric energy by controlling the conduction of internal power devices (such as power semiconductor devices such as MOSFET or IGBT), relying on the dissipated power of the power tube, and accurately consume electric energy by adjusting the conduction (duty cycle) of internal power devices. This design makes the electronic load more flexible and accurate in regulation and control, and can simulate various load conditions, such as steady state, transient, short circuit, overcurrent, etc.

[0024] Industrial computer: that is, industrial control computer, is a general term for tools that use a bus structure to detect and control production processes, electromechanical equipment, and process equipment.

[0025] An automated test system for a programmable power supply, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes a primary DC source, an industrial computer, a power supply under test, an electronic load and a multimeter, wherein the primary DC source is connected to the input terminal of the power supply under test to charge the power supply under test, the output terminal of the power supply under test is connected to the electronic load and the multimeter, and the multimeter is used to measure the output voltage of the power supply under test; the primary DC source, the power supply under test, the electronic load and the multimeter are respectively connected to the industrial computer, and the industrial computer is used to realize the collection and command issuance of other devices.

[0026] Specifically, the power supply under test is a programmable power supply, the primary DC source and the industrial computer are connected by a USB bus, the power supply under test and the industrial computer are connected by one of a CAN bus, an RS422 bus and an RS485 bus, the electronic load and the industrial computer are connected by a USB bus, and the multimeter and the industrial computer are connected by an RS232 bus.

[0027] The industrial computer is used to read the voltage value collected inside the programmable power supply and the actual voltage value measured by the multimeter. At the same time, the industrial computer also sets the output voltage and current limit value of the primary DC source, the output voltage of the power supply under test and the load value of the electronic load. The industrial computer controls and reads data of the power supply under test, the electronic load, the multimeter and the primary DC source to achieve automatic testing of the power supply under test.

[0028] In one embodiment provided by the present invention, Figure 1 As shown, an automatic test system for a programmable power supply is composed of a power supply to be tested, a primary DC source, an electronic load, a multimeter, and an industrial control machine; The power supply under test is a program-controlled power supply, which communicates with the industrial computer through the CAN bus or RS422 or RS485 bus. The test software running in the industrial computer can set the output voltage of the program-controlled power supply and obtain the collected values ​​of the output voltage and output current. The multimeter is used to test the actual output value of the power supply under test, and communicates with the industrial computer through the RS232 bus. The test software running in the industrial computer can read the test value of the multimeter; The primary DC source is used to power the programmable power supply and communicate with the industrial computer through the USB bus. The test software running in the industrial computer can set the output voltage and current limit value of the primary DC source, and can also control the on / off of the primary DC source. The industrial computer tests the output stability of the programmable power supply under different input voltages by adjusting the voltage of the primary source; The electronic load is equipped with power devices to adjust the load size of the power supply under test. It communicates with the industrial computer through the USB bus. The test software running in the industrial computer can set the load value of the electronic load and control the load removal / load. The industrial computer tests the output stability of the programmable power supply under different loads by adjusting the current of the electronic load. The test software can record the input voltage, load size, output set value, output acquisition value, and actual output value of the power supply under test, save them in a table according to the test time, and display and judge the various indicators of the power supply under test.

[0029] For the above-mentioned automatic test system of programmable power supply, an automatic test method is proposed, which includes the following steps: Step 1: The industrial computer sends a command through the bus to set the output voltage and current limit value of the primary DC source, the output voltage of the programmable power supply, and the load value of the electronic load; Step 2: The industrial computer sends commands through the bus to control the electronic load to remove or carry load: Step 3: Under different input voltages, different load conditions, and different set output voltages, the industrial computer reads the collected voltage value inside the power supply under test and the actual voltage value measured by the multimeter: Step 4: Save the obtained test data, automatically interpret the test data according to the test requirements, and then determine whether the tested power supply is qualified.

[0030] The input voltage in step three is the output voltage of the primary DC source.

[0031] Detailed, the software process is as follows Figure 2 As shown, the detailed steps are: Step 1, communication port initialization; Step 2, setting the load value of the electronic load; Step 3, set the DC source voltage and current limit point and then turn it on; Step 4, setting the output voltage of the power supply under test; Step 5, controlling the electronic load to remove or carry load; Step 6, reading the output voltage acquisition value of the power supply under test; Step 7, read the actual value tested by the multimeter; Step 8, determine whether the test is completed, if so, save the data; if not, return to step 2.

[0032] The standard for whether the programmable power supply test is qualified is that the actual voltage value collected by the multimeter, the output voltage value of the programmable power supply and the voltage collection value inside the programmable power supply should be within the specified error range.

[0033] According to the results of the present invention, a XX power supply test system was developed. The XX power supply converts the +28V input into +27V program-controlled output and +12V program-controlled output through DC / DC isolation. The XX power supply receives CAN communication instructions from the host computer to realize the output voltage regulation function and the uploading and collecting data function.

[0034] Figure 3 It is the parameter setting interface of the automated test software. The XX power supply communicates with the industrial computer through CAN, and the multimeter communicates with the industrial computer through the RS232 serial bus. It is necessary to set the device index number, channel number, baud rate of the CAN, the serial port number of the multimeter, the channel number of the load, and the set number of the power supply product.

[0035] Figure 4 For the test interface of the automated test software, click on the left to start the test. The +12V program control is gradually adjusted from +10V to +20V in 1V steps. At the same time, the primary source voltage is 18V, 28V, and 40V, and the load value of the electronic load is 0A and 5A. Test and record the set value, acquisition value, and actual value of the +12V program control. Click on the left to end the test, and save the test results according to the set number and test time. The test of the +27V program control on the right is to gradually adjust from +18V to +36V in 1V steps. The other test methods are consistent with the +12V program control.

[0036] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Within the technical concept of the present invention, the technical solution of the present invention can be subjected to a variety of simple modifications, including the combination of various technical features in any other suitable manner, and these simple modifications and combinations should also be regarded as the contents disclosed by the present invention and belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic test system for a programmable power supply, characterized in that: It includes a primary DC source, an industrial computer, a power supply under test, an electronic load and a multimeter, wherein the input end of the power supply under test is connected to the primary DC source, and the output end of the power supply under test is connected to the electronic load and the multimeter; The power supply under test is a program-controlled power supply; The power supply under test, electronic load, multimeter and primary DC source are all connected to an industrial computer, which controls and reads back data of the power supply under test, electronic load, multimeter and primary DC source through a communication interface.

2. The automatic test system for a programmable power supply according to claim 1, characterized in that: The programmable power supply and the industrial computer are connected using one of the CAN bus, RS422 bus and RS485 bus. The industrial computer sends commands through the bus to adjust the output voltage of the programmable power supply. At the same time, the programmable power supply reports the collected output voltage and current information to the industrial computer through the bus.

3. The automatic test system for a programmable power supply according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multimeter is connected in parallel with the program-controlled power supply, and the multimeter measures the output voltage of the program-controlled power supply.

4. The automatic test system for a programmable power supply according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multimeter and the industrial computer are connected by RS232 bus, and the industrial computer reads the measured value of the multimeter by sending and receiving commands through the bus.

5. The automatic test system for a programmable power supply according to claim 1, characterized in that: The primary DC source is used to power the programmable power supply. The primary DC source and the industrial computer are connected by a USB bus. The industrial computer sends commands through the bus to adjust the voltage of the primary source, thereby testing the output stability of the programmable power supply under different input voltages.

6. The automatic test system for a programmable power supply according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electronic load is used as the load of the programmable power supply. The electronic load and the industrial computer are connected by a USB bus. The industrial computer sends commands through the bus to adjust the current of the electronic load, thereby testing the output stability of the programmable power supply under different loads.

7. An automated testing method for a programmable power supply, characterized in that: The automatic test system of the programmable power supply according to any one of claims 1 to 6 comprises the following steps: The industrial computer sends commands through the bus to set the output voltage and current limit value of the primary DC source, the output voltage of the programmable power supply, and the load value of the electronic load; The industrial computer sends commands through the bus to control the electronic load to remove or carry load; Under different input voltages, different load conditions, and different set output voltages, the industrial computer reads the collected voltage value inside the programmable power supply and the actual voltage value measured by the multimeter through bus receiving and sending commands; The obtained test data is saved, and the test data is automatically interpreted according to the test requirements to determine whether the tested power supply is qualified.

8. The automatic testing method of a programmable power supply according to claim 7, characterized in that: Before setting the primary DC source, programmable power supply and electronic load by using the industrial computer, the communication port of the industrial computer is initialized first.

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