Our comprehensive test and verification ensures quality products.  Documented records of all tests are maintained and the personnel who conduct these tests are qualified and trained specifically for this test activity. 

Test
▪  Design Verification Testing (DVT)
▪  HALT
▪  High volume Burn-in/HASS (Production Test)
▪  EMC Testing
▪  Visual test
▪  Configuration verification
▪  PCB continuity/resistance cable tests and crimp verification
▪  Software control burin-in bays
▪  Test Engineering
▪  Automated, Scripted, Custom, Safety (leakage and Hipot)
▪  Safety approvals
▪  Thermal test
▪  System stress
▪  Shock and vibe
▪  Complex tech analysis
 

Design Verification Testing
Tracewell Electronics performs complete design verification testing (DVT).  Using Tracewell’s extensive testing and laboratory facilities, Tracewell’s professional engineering staff can design, troubleshoot and qualify your product at any stage of its life cycle.

HALT

Whether done independently, or as part of the DVT testing, Tracewell can perform Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT).  During this test, the product is driven beyond its normal operating conditions of temperature and vibration and brought to the point of failure. HALT testing is a requirement for all designs with the goal of forcing out latent failures early in the product life cycle, prior to the start of production.  Of particular interest would be those which are due to inadequate derating or substandard design. Failures are analyzed and, if necessary and/or economically feasible, will be eliminated from the design.  The test/cycle continues until it is no longer necessary or reasonable to proceed.  This process enhances the durability and overall reliability of the product.  As part of normal production, the HALT profile can be reduced to a production level test, Highly Accelerated Stress Screening (HASS).  HASS can be performed continually or on an audit basis to monitor process issues.
 

First test
First test is a combination of Hi Potential safety test and full load functional test. These test are done by program controlled automated test equipment which records all test results in the quality data base by serial number for each unit tested.

Burn
Units are run at high ambient temperature  (50 C) while being power cycled for a period of from 8 to 96 hours. All outputs of the units are monitored during this test and the time to failure is recorded in the quality database for each unit by serial number.  Other levels of burn include Environmental Stress Screening (ESS) and Highly Accelerated Stress Screening (HASS).  ESS is a thermal stress, of ~1 degree C/minute while the unit if operational and being monitored.  HASS is a combination of thermal and vibration, of ~ 1 degree C/Second and a vibration of 50G’s max while the unit if operational and being monitored.

Final test
Final test is designed to detect any changes to units during burnin. It is a complete Hi Potential safety test and full load functional test. These test are done by program controlled automated test equipment which records all test results in the quality database by serial number for each unit tested.  A quality inspection of each unit is performed after test to assure all test and quality checks have been performed and that unit appearance and labeling is correct.

EMC
Tracewell has established an on-site pre-compliance EMC facility for the testing of products under development and for the random audit of production units.  The state of the art facility includes a screen room and a compact 3 meter anechoic chamber.  A dedicated staff member assures consistent procedural test methods with data recording and backup.  Testing is under software control for conducted emissions, radiated emission and surge testing.  A manual test system is employed for ESD compliance testing.  Our engineering staff enjoys a complete complement of troubleshooting tools for use investigating emissions.  These tools include a variety of probes for use with a selection of network and spectrum analyzers.
 

Data Collection
Several reporting mechanisms have been developed throughout our organization to collect, store, evaluate, and disseminate data information from the design phase through end-of-life manufacturing.  Process databases collect data from throughout the manufacturing process including board assembly test, unit first test, burn-in or ESS, unit final test final inspection, and pack.  Repair loops database all repairs at board assembly level and unit level.  Our return goods area databases all repairs on returned product.  These databases provide the ability to query for selected data criteria, as well as establish Pareto analysis and C_pk studies for process improvement.
A conscious effort is made to improve data collection.  Current efforts include upgrading our returned goods database, expanding data collection to other inspection points, and incoming component transformer parameters.