CASE STUDY SNAPSHOT
Customer : An Indian OEM of industrial automation devicesSize : >51-200
Project vertical : Industrial
Challenge : Automate end-of-line testing of industrial DAQ device and reduce human errors.
Solution : Leverage Embien’s TestBot automated testing framework with a custom test jig
Services & Products Availed : QA Services, TestBot
Tools and Technologies :
- Key Hardware: Custom Test Jig
- Software Development: Java, Visual Programming
- Frameworks: TestBot
- Frameworks: Digital/Analog Input/Output, RS485 etc
INTRODUCTION
A leading industrial OEM, preparing to launch a new, field-tested Data Acquisition (DAQ) device, faced a critical production bottleneck. Their traditional manual testing processes were too slow and error-prone to meet market demand, creating a need for a high-speed, reliable, and fully automated test solution.
CHALLENGE
The primary challenge was to design a comprehensive automated test system that could fully validate, calibrate, and generate reports for each DAQ device in under three minutes. This required overcoming several unique complexities. The system needed to test a wide array of I/O, including analog/digital sensor inputs and relay outputs. It also had to verify multiple communication interfaces like RS485, Ethernet, WiFi, and USB. A crucial requirement was to integrate sensor circuit calibration and final firmware programming into the same automated sequence. Furthermore, the solution had to automate traditionally manual actions like verifying LED indicator lights and switch actuations, while ensuring every tested unit had a unique serial-numbered report securely uploaded to the customer's AWS cloud database for complete traceability.
SOLUTION
Embien's Turnkey Automated Test System
Embien approached the challenge by designing a holistic, turnkey solution centered around our versatile automated test bench platform, TestBot. We delivered a complete system encompassing custom hardware, intelligent automation software, and seamless cloud integration, transforming the customer's production line testing.
Custom Test Jig and Hardware Integration
The foundation of the solution was a custom-designed test jig, engineered to perfectly interface with the Device Under Test (DUT). This robust fixture provided:
Industrial DAQ
Precision Connectivity: A bed-of-nails style connector engaged with all the DUT's I/O points, including power, analog and digital inputs, relay outputs, and communication ports, ensuring reliable connections every time.
Integrated Programming: The jig incorporated an SWD (Serial Wire Debug) interface connected directly to our TestBot. This allowed the final production firmware to be flashed onto the DUT's microcontroller at the start of the test cycle, eliminating the need for a separate, manual programming station.
Automated Manual Intervention: To solve the challenge of testing visual and physical components, we integrated specialized sensors and actuators. A color sensor was precisely positioned over the DUT’s status LEDs to automatically verify their color, brightness, and blink patterns against predefined pass/fail criteria. Simultaneously, a small, software-controlled pneumatic actuator was used to physically press the DUT’s buttons and switches, with the system verifying the correct electrical and software response.
Signal Simulation: The test bench was equipped with programmable power supplies and arbitrary signal generators. This allowed us to simulate a wide range of real-world sensor inputs (e.g., varying voltage levels for pressure sensors, pulse trains for flow meters) to comprehensively test the DUT's data acquisition capabilities under different operating conditions.
Intelligent Test Automation and Software
The core of the system's efficiency lies in the TestBot's powerful software and scripting engine. We developed a dedicated test sequence script that orchestrated every step of the process with precision and speed:
Sequence Initiation: An operator simply places the DUT in the jig and initiates the test with a single click on the TestBot's graphical user interface.
Firmware Programming: The first step in the automated sequence is to program the final, verified firmware onto the DUT, ensuring every unit leaves with the correct software version.
Automated Calibration: Immediately following programming, the system enters the calibration phase. The TestBot injects highly accurate, standard reference signals into the DUT's sensor input circuitry. It then reads the DUT's digital output, calculates the necessary calibration constants to correct for any minor hardware variations, and writes these unique constants back to the DUT's non-volatile memory. This critical step ensures that every device provides highly accurate readings right out of the box.
Comprehensive Functional Validation: The script then proceeds through a rapid series of test cases:
I/O Test: It simulates various sensor inputs and verifies that the DUT processes them correctly. It then cycles all relay outputs and confirms their successful actuation.
Communication Interface Test: The TestBot validates every communication channel. It acts as a master device to test the RS485 interface, connects to the local network to verify Ethernet and WiFi functionality, and emulates a PC connection to confirm USB data transfer is working as expected.
Cloud Integration and Reporting: This is the final and most critical validation step. The TestBot commands the DUT (via its tested communication interfaces) to send a payload of test data to the customer's production AWS cloud server. In parallel, the TestBot itself queries the cloud database through a secure API to confirm that the data packet, tagged with the DUT's unique serial number, was received correctly and instantly. Upon successful verification, a complete test and calibration report is generated and uploaded to the cloud, permanently linking the device's serial number to its full test history.
This entire, complex sequence—from firmware programming to cloud verification—was optimized to execute in well under the three-minute target, dramatically increasing production throughput.
BENEFITS DELIVERED
Massive Reduction in Test Time: Reduced the per-unit test cycle from over 30 minutes of manual work to an automated sequence of under 3 minutes, boosting production capacity by over 10x.
Elimination of Human Error: Automation ensured every device was tested and calibrated against the exact same standards, guaranteeing consistent quality and eliminating operator-induced errors.
Integrated Calibration for Superior Accuracy: By combining testing with automated sensor calibration, the solution delivered a final product with higher accuracy and field reliability.
100% Digital Traceability: Provided a complete, cloud-based digital record for every unit, linking its serial number to its firmware version, calibration data, and full test report for quality control and warranty tracking.
Increased Operator Efficiency: The simple "one-click" operation allowed a single operator to manage multiple test benches simultaneously, significantly reducing manpower requirements.
Conclusion
Embien successfully delivered a sophisticated automated test bench that solved the industrial OEM's complex production testing challenges. By integrating firmware programming, multi-interface validation, automated calibration, and secure cloud reporting into a single, high-speed system, we enabled our customer to meet their production goals, improve product quality, and establish complete traceability for their DAQ devices. Our expertise in product engineering services and test automation can help your business achieve similar results.
