Automated control panel
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202522302127.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-10-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-09
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-10-30
AI Technical Summary
这种操作方式带来了显著的不便：频繁地拆卸和组装设备外壳不仅耗时耗力，大幅降低了工作效率，尤其是在需要对大量设备进行批量操作或自动化测试时；同时，暴露的内部引脚连接脆弱，容易因操作不当而损坏，增加了测试和生产过程中设备损坏的风险；此外，这种对物理接触的依赖也严重限制了测试流程的自动化程度，例如，在自动化测试场景中，通过外部电源控制设备的上下电以及通过物理按键进行复位或恢复出厂设置等操作，在设备封装后变得极为困难，难以实现快速、便捷的设备连接和断开
[0014]在本实用新型自动化控制板的又一个示意性的实施方式中，所述自动化控制板还包括一个USB连接器。所述USB连接器与所述测试电脑连接，并为所述待测设备提供电源。该自动化控制板能够为待测设备提供电源，并能够控制电源输出，以进一步方便测试。
Smart Images
Figure CN224840829U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of testing equipment under test, and in particular to an automated control board. Background Technology
[0002] In embedded system development and testing, microcontroller-driven devices require firmware downloads, program debugging, and automated testing. These operations are crucial for ensuring the proper functioning and performance of the devices.
[0003] However, in current technical practices, engineers and technicians often face numerous challenges when performing these tasks. Connecting to the internal interfaces of the device under test (DUT), such as debug serial ports and programming interfaces (like SWD / JTAG), typically requires direct access to the device's internal circuitry. This means that in many cases, the device casing must be opened, and even some components disassembled, to access the corresponding debug pins or interfaces. This approach presents significant inconvenience: frequent disassembly and reassembly of the device casing is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, significantly reducing work efficiency, especially when batch operations or automated testing of a large number of devices are required; simultaneously, exposed internal pin connections are fragile and easily damaged due to improper handling, increasing the risk of device damage during testing and production; furthermore, this reliance on physical contact severely limits the degree of automation in the testing process. For example, in automated testing scenarios, operations such as controlling the device's power-on / off via external power and resetting or restoring factory settings via physical buttons become extremely difficult after the device is packaged, making it difficult to achieve quick and convenient device connection and disconnection.
[0004] Given the problems existing in the aforementioned technologies, the industry urgently needs a solution that can simplify the firmware download, debugging, and automated testing processes for embedded devices under test (DUTs). This solution should provide convenient interface connections, integrated control functions, and avoid frequent disassembly of the device casing, thereby significantly improving the efficiency and convenience of development, testing, and production. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automated control board that offers convenient interface connections, avoids frequent disassembly of the equipment casing, and thus significantly improves the efficiency and convenience of development, testing, and production.
[0006] This invention provides an automated control board for testing a device under test (DUT). The automated control board includes a PCB board, an ST-Link port, a serial port, and a connection probe unit. The ST-Link port is fixedly mounted on the PCB board and can be connected to a test computer via an ST-Link emulator. The serial port is also fixedly mounted on the PCB board and can be connected to the test computer. The connection probe unit includes multiple probes. One end of each probe is connected to a pin of either the ST-Link port or the serial port, and the other end can be plugged into the connection port of the DUT. This integrated design allows the DUT to be electrically connected to the automated control board directly via the connection probe unit without disassembling the casing. This greatly simplifies the device connection process, saves significant time and manpower, and significantly improves the efficiency of development, testing, and production.
[0007] In another illustrative embodiment of the automation control board of this utility model, the ST-Link port includes a first pin connector that connects the JTAG test mode selection / serial line debug data input / output signal JTMS / SWDIO, the JTAG test clock / serial line clock signal JTCK / SWCLK, and the reset signal NRST sent by the ST-Link emulator to the connection probe unit.
[0008] In another illustrative embodiment of the automated control board of this utility model, the serial port includes a second pin connector, which connects the debug transmit data signal DEBUG_TXD and the debug receive data signal DEBUG_RXD sent by the test computer to the connection probe unit.
[0009] In another illustrative embodiment of the automation control board of this utility model, the connection probe unit includes a first group of probes and a second group of probes. The first group of probes includes four probes, which are respectively connected to a ground potential, the JTAG test mode selection / serial line debug data input / output signal JTMS / SWDIO, a power supply voltage, and the reset signal NRST. The second group of probes includes four probes, which are respectively connected to a ground potential, the JTAG test clock / serial line clock signal JTCK / SWCLK, the debug transmit data signal DEBUG_TXD, and the debug receive data signal DEBUG_RXD.
[0010] In another illustrative embodiment of the automated control board of this utility model, the PCB board further includes a first opening; when the device under test (DUT) is plugged into the automated control board, the wake-up switch of the DUT can be exposed through the first opening. This provides great convenience in certain test scenarios that require manual device restart, eliminating the need to remove the device or use additional tools, thus improving the convenience and efficiency of operation.
[0011] In another illustrative embodiment of the automated control board of this utility model, the PCB board further includes a second opening. The second opening is located adjacent to the connection probe unit, and the positioning mark of the device under test can be exposed through the second opening. This design facilitates observation by the operator when connecting the two, ensuring the accuracy and stability of the connection, reducing the risk of poor contact or damage due to misalignment, and significantly improving efficiency and reliability, especially in batch operations.
[0012] In another illustrative embodiment of the automation control board of this utility model, the automation control board further includes a reset button. The reset button is a tactile switch, and its two ends are respectively connected to ground potential and reset signal NRST. This automation control board further facilitates testing.
[0013] In another illustrative embodiment of the automation control board of this utility model, the automation control board further includes a reset button. The reset button is a tactile switch, and its two ends are respectively connected to ground potential and the debug receive data signal DEBUG_RXD. This automation control board further facilitates testing.
[0014] In another illustrative embodiment of the automated control board of this utility model, the automated control board further includes a USB connector. The USB connector connects to the test computer and provides power to the device under test (DUT). This automated control board can provide power to the DUT and control the power output to further facilitate testing. Attached Figure Description
[0015] The following figures are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the present invention.
[0016] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram illustrating the automation control board of this utility model.
[0017] Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram illustrating the automation control board of this utility model.
[0018] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram illustrating the circuit design of the automation control board of this utility model.
[0019] Figure 4 This is another schematic diagram illustrating the circuit design of the automation control board of this utility model.
[0020] The accompanying figure is labeled as follows:
[0021] 10 devices under test
[0022] 20 PCB board
[0023] 21ST-Link port
[0024] 22 serial ports
[0025] 23 Connecting probe unit
[0026] 24 First opening
[0027] 25 Second opening
[0028] 26 Restart button
[0029] 27 Reset button
[0030] 30 test computers
[0031] 40 USB connector
[0032] H1 First Pin Connector
[0033] H2 second pin connector Detailed Implementation
[0034] To provide a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and effects of this utility model, specific embodiments of this utility model are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate components with the same or similar structures but the same function.
[0035] In this document, “illustrative” means “serving as an example, illustration or description”, and any illustration or implementation described herein as “illustrative” should not be construed as a more preferred or advantageous technical solution.
[0036] To keep the drawings concise, only the parts relevant to this utility model are shown schematically in each figure, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, in some figures, only one of the components with the same structure or function is schematically depicted, or only one is labeled. The device under test (DUT) involved in this application includes a microcontroller, which can be an STM8 or STM32 series microcontroller, etc. The DUT can be an electronic device such as a sensor.
[0037] In this article, "one" can mean not only "only one" but also "more than one". In this article, "first", "second", etc., are used only to distinguish them from each other, not to indicate their importance or order.
[0038] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram illustrating the automation control board of this utility model. Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram illustrating the automation control board of this utility model. Figure 2 The use cases of the automation control panel are shown.
[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the automation control board of this utility model includes a PCB board 20. An ST-Link port 21, a serial port 22, and a connection probe unit 23 are fixedly disposed on the PCB board 20. Figure 2 As shown, during use, the device under test (DUT) 10 is placed on the automation control board, and the connection probe unit 23 of the automation control board is plugged into the connection port of the DUT 10. A test computer 30 is connected to the ST-Link port 21 of the automation control board via an ST-Link emulator. During testing, firmware is downloaded to the DUT 10 via the ST-Link port 21. The serial port 22 of the automation control board is connected to the serial port of the test computer 30 to receive automated test commands or debugging commands from the test computer 30. The connection probe unit 23 includes multiple probes, one end of which is connected to a pin of the ST-Link port 21 or the serial port 22 of the automation control board, and the other end can be plugged into the connection port of the DUT 10. This design of the automation control board allows for direct electrical connection to the automation control board via the connection probe unit without disassembling the DUT 10, which greatly simplifies the device connection process and improves the efficiency of development, testing, and production.
[0040] Currently, some devices under test (DUTs) 10 on the market have a sleep thread. During testing, it is necessary to wake up the DUTs 10 to perform the tests. To facilitate waking up the DUTs 10 during testing, a first opening 24 can be provided on the PCB board 20 of the automation control board. When the DUTs 10 are plugged into the automation control board, the wake-up switch of the DUTs 10 can be exposed through the first opening 24. Therefore, during testing, the DUTs 10 can be woken up as needed without removing the automation control board from the DUTs 10, which facilitates testing.
[0041] When connecting the automation control board to the device under test (DUT) 10, the connection probe unit 23 of the automation control board needs to be aligned with the connection port of the DUT 10. To facilitate observation of whether the two are aligned, a second opening 25 can be further provided on the PCB board 20. This second opening 25 is located adjacent to the connection probe unit 23, and the positioning mark on the DUT 10 can be exposed through the second opening 25. The positioning mark can be a printed pattern on the DUT 10, a slot / hole, or a protruding structure, etc. By observing the position of the positioning mark exposed in the second opening 25, the relative position between the connection probe unit 23 of the automation control board and the connection port of the DUT 10 can be determined.
[0042] During testing, it is also necessary to trigger specific functions of the device under test (DUT) 10 to test those specific functions. For example, it is necessary to trigger a restart or reset of the DUT 10. Therefore, to facilitate testing, a restart button 26 and / or a reset button 27 can be further provided on the automation control board. Both the restart button 26 and the reset button 27 can be tactile switches.
[0043] like Figure 4 As shown, the two ends of the restart button 26 are connected to the ground potential GND and the reset signal NRST, respectively. When the restart button 26 is pressed, the ground potential GND and the reset signal NRST are connected, and the reset signal NRST is pulled low, thus restarting the device under test 10. The two ends of the reset button 27 are connected to the ground potential GND and the debug receive data signal DEBUG_RXD, respectively. When the reset button 27 is pressed, the ground potential GND and the debug receive data signal DEBUG_RXD are connected, and the debug receive data signal DEBUG_RXD is pulled low. After being pressed continuously for a period of time, the device under test 10 recognizes it as a reset signal and resets the device under test 10.
[0044] When testing the device under test (DUT) 10 on the automation control board, multiple power supply methods can be selected. For example, the DUT 10 can be powered through the ST-Link port 21 of the automation control board, or through the serial port 22 of the automation control board. Additionally, a separate USB connector can be provided, which connects to the test computer 30 and provides power to the DUT 10. The output of the USB connector can be configured as a dry cell battery and connected to the battery compartment of the DUT 10 for convenient testing. The test computer 30 can manage the power supply by controlling the ST-Link port 21, serial port 22, or USB connector on the automation control board.
[0045] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram illustrating the circuit design of the automation control board of this utility model. It shows the connection circuit of the ST-Link port 21 of the automation control board, and the connection circuit of the serial port 22 of the automation control board. Figure 3 As shown, ST-Link port 21 includes a first pin connector H1, which connects the JTAG test mode select / serial line debug data input / output signal JTMS / SWDIO, the JTAG test clock / serial line clock signal JTCK / SWCLK, and the reset signal NRST sent by the ST-Link emulator to the connection probe unit 23. Serial port 22 includes a second pin connector H2, which connects the debug transmit data signal DEBUG_TXD and the debug receive data signal DEBUG_RXD sent by the test computer 30 to the connection probe unit 23. The connection probe unit 23 can transmit the received signals to the device under test 10 to which it is connected.
[0046] Figure 4 This is another schematic diagram illustrating the circuit design of the automation control board of this utility model. It shows the circuit diagram of the probe unit 23, the restart button 26, and the reset button 27.
[0047] like Figure 4 As shown, the probe unit 23 includes a first group of probes (H5_2, H5_4, H5_6, H5_8) and a second group of probes (H5_1, H5_3, H5_5, H5_7). The first group of probes includes four probes (H5_2, H5_4, H5_6, H5_8), which are connected to a ground potential GND, the JTAG test mode select / serial line debug data input / output signal JTMS / SWDIO, a supply voltage VCC, and a reset signal NRST respectively through a third pin connection unit H3. The second group of probes includes four probes (H5_1, H5_3, H5_5, H5_7), which are connected to a ground potential GND, the JTAG test clock / serial line clock signal JTCK / SWCLK, the debug transmit data signal DEBUG_TXD, and the debug receive data signal DEBUG_RXD respectively through a fourth pin connection unit H4.
[0048] It should be understood that although this specification describes various embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can be appropriately combined to form other implementations that can be understood by those skilled in the art. The nouns and pronouns referring to people in this patent application are not limited to specific genders.
[0049] The detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific descriptions of feasible embodiments of the present utility model, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present utility model. All equivalent implementation schemes or modifications made without departing from the spirit of the present utility model, such as combinations, divisions or repetitions of features, should be included within the scope of protection of the present utility model.
Claims
1. An automated control board, characterized in that, The automated control board is used to test a device under test (10), and includes: PCB board (20); An ST-Link port (21) is fixedly mounted on the PCB board (20). The ST-Link port (21) can be connected to a test computer (30) via an ST-Link emulator. A serial port (22) is fixedly disposed on the PCB board (20), and the serial port (22) can be connected to the test computer (30); The connection probe unit (23) includes multiple probes, one end of each probe is connected to a pin of the ST-Link port (21) or the serial port (22), and the other end can be plugged into the connection port of the device under test (10).
2. The automation control board according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ST-Link port (21) includes a first pin connector (H1) that connects the JTAG test mode select / serial line debug data input / output signal (JTMS / SWDIO), JTAG test clock / serial line clock signal (JTCK / SWCLK), and reset signal (NRST) sent by the ST-Link emulator to the connection probe unit (23).
3. The automation control board according to claim 2, characterized in that, The serial port (22) includes a second pin connector (H2) that connects the debug transmit data signal (DEBUG_TXD) and debug receive data signal (DEBUG_RXD) sent by the test computer (30) to the connection probe unit (23).
4. The automation control board according to claim 3, characterized in that, The connection probe unit (23) includes a first set of probes and a second set of probes; The first group of probes includes four probes, which are connected to: A ground potential (GND); The JTAG test mode selection / serial line debug data input / output signals (JTMS / SWDIO); A supply voltage (VCC); as well as The reset signal (NRST); The second group of probes includes four probes, which are connected to: A ground potential (GND); The JTAG test clock / serial line clock signal (JTCK / SWCLK); The debug data transmission signal (DEBUG_TXD); and The debug receive data signal (DEBUG_RXD).
5. The automation control board according to claim 1, characterized in that: The PCB board (20) also includes a first opening (24); When the device under test (10) is plugged into the automation control board, the wake-up switch of the device under test (10) can be exposed from the first opening (24).
6. The automation control board according to claim 1, characterized in that: The PCB board (20) also includes a second opening (25); The second opening (25) is provided adjacent to the connection probe unit (23), and the positioning mark of the device under test (10) can be exposed from the second opening (25).
7. The automation control board according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A reset button (26) is a tactile switch, the two ends of which are connected to ground potential (GND) and reset signal (NRST), respectively.
8. The automation control board according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A reset button (27) is a tactile switch, the two ends of which are connected to ground potential (GND) and debug receive data signal (DEBUG_RXD), respectively.
9. The automation control board according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A USB connector is provided for connection to the test computer (30) and for providing power to the device under test (10).