Test Adapter Apparatus for Reliable DUT Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional test setups for devices like mobile radio devices are cumbersome, error-prone, and risk mechanical damage due to manual handling and non-standard connections, which complicates reproducible testing and confidentiality during development and production.
Innovation Solution
A test adapter apparatus with a device under test holder that plugs into a docking station, providing RF and data interfaces for secure, reliable connections, protecting against mechanical damage and electromagnetic interference, and allowing automated testing while maintaining confidentiality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If devices under test are connected manually with non-standard connectors, then testing can be performed, but connection reliability and reproducibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a standardized adapter connector as an intermediary component that interfaces between the device under test and the testing equipment. This adapter provides consistent, standardized connection points, eliminating the need for manual attachment of various non-standard connectors and ensuring reliable, reproducible connections across different testing scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter connector serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support, establishes electrical connections, ensures proper positioning, and maintains confidentiality. By consolidating these functions into a single universal interface, the system eliminates the need for multiple specialized connectors while improving reliability and simplifying the testing process.
2Ease of operation
If devices under test are handled manually during testing, then testing operations can be performed, but mechanical damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holder acts as an intermediary between the robotic manipulation system and the device under test. It provides a robust interface that can be safely gripped and manipulated by robotic arms, while the device under test remains protected within the holder structure, significantly reducing the risk of mechanical damage during handling and testing operations.
3Reliability
If additional connectors are attached to device housing for testing, then testing connections are established, but testing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter connector is pre-attached to the device under test or pre-positioned in the holder before the actual testing begins. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming connector attachment operations during the testing process itself, allowing testing to proceed immediately with stable, pre-established connections, thereby increasing testing throughput while maintaining connection reliability.
4Loss of information
If lockable boxes are used for confidential prototypes, then confidentiality is maintained, but manual configuration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holder structure serves as a universal confidential containment solution that integrates multiple functions: it protects confidentiality through its enclosed design, provides mechanical support, enables standardized connections, and facilitates automated handling. This universal design eliminates the need for separate lockable boxes and manual configuration steps, maintaining confidentiality while simplifying the overall system.
Data Source
AI summary
A test adapter apparatus comprising at least one device under test, DUT, holder adapted to hold a device under test, DUT and adapted to be plugged in into a docking station of said test adapter apparatus, wherein the docking station has RF and data interfaces used for connecting at least one external test device through said docking station with the device under test, DUT, held by said device under test holder.