Testing Guidelines
Fixturing Maintenance
Fixturing is the word Cirris uses to describe the intermediate cables that connect the tester to the cables you test.
You are careful to select the right materials for a cable or harness. You build the cable with precision, double checking work to make sure each wire and pin is placed correctly. You follow the instructions and document the work to ensure no mistakes are made.
Why not do the same for your fixturing?
Fixturing is the word Cirris assigns to the mating harness used to connect the cable to the tester. While the cable may only need to be tested once, the fixturing may be required to endure hundreds or thousands of tests. There are certain methods available to help make your fixturing last for as long as it needs.
Materials
Certain materials will last longer and give more accurate test results while others will need to be replaced often and can cause problems during testing. For example, if you populate connectors with pins that have tin plating, the tin will wear away sooner than you’d like.
Construction
Use the same precision on your fixturing that you would use on a cable. Depending on how many cables you need to test, you need to build fixturing that can endure. Cirris has provided a list of common practices to help build the best fixturing for your shop (see link at bottom of post).
Test and Maintain
Once the fixturing is built, test it often for problems and be sure to keep it in good condition. Fixturing can be an expensive investment. You will want to treat it in a way that makes it last.
To learn more about fixturing, check out our article in the Cirris Learning Center:
Futher Reading: