Reducing Operation and Support Costs with PCMCIA Based Automatic Test Systems

摘要

Report developed under SBIR contract. The purpose of this SBIR Phase I projectwas to study the feasibility of developing an automatic test system (ATS) that is designed around the PCMCIA bus. The PCMCIA bus is a technology that allows a computer's capabilities to be expanded through the use of credit card sized devices. The premise for the investigation was that a test system that uses PCMCIA cards would have a high degree of mobility and could be reconfigured to meet different requirements. This would reduce the operation and support costs of electronics systems. The Phase I research assessed the capabilities of the bus and its suitability for use in an automatic test system. The electrical and mechanical properties of the bus were studied along with its software control requirements. A trade study was also conducted to assess the availability of PCMCIA cards that would be suitable for use in an automatic test system. All of these efforts were successful. The trade study revealed that a variety of PCMCIA instruments are commercially available. Hardware and software specifications for a PCMCIA based test system have been written. These will guide the development of such a tester during the Phase II effort.