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This article looks at the various test situations you may encounter and gives our recommendations for the appropriate low voltage testing. Test Situation Recommendation No testing This is justified when testing does not find sufficient defects to justify the additional cost in testing. This assumes the process of manufacturing assemblies can be expected to stay…

Hipot testing involves using a high potential (voltage) to test insulation. A hipot test can be very useful in helping you develop a process that builds high quality cables and wire harnesses. There are two popular hipot voltage sources: DC and AC. This article introduces some of the concepts you’ll find in AC hipot testing.…

Why do cables have shields? To prevent signals in cables from radiating and causing interference. To prevent outside signals from affecting signals inside the cable. To maintain controlled impedance so that fast-changing signals can travel long distances without electrical “echos.” Testing Recommendations Shielded cable assemblies have an increased chance of defects in the manufacturing process.…

Metal Whiskers can cause severe damage to electronic and electrical devices and leave complete systems useless. They have been known to create failures in nuclear reactors, pacemakers, missiles and satellites and they may be threatening your devices. What are these tiny things that can cause so much destruction? Metal whiskers are tiny hair-like growths that…

Many companies have an established process that they follow to ensure that all cables are tested correctly. Some parts of the test process are vital for safety reasons. How many of these things do you include in your test process? 1. Guided Assembly Instead of testing after the cable is finished, some test systems allow…

Substandard and counterfeit cables, labelled with fake official standards and accreditations, is a growing problem in the UK. What are Counterfeit Cables? Manufacturers are purchasing wires and components they believe are legitimate only to realise later that the materials do not meet industry requirements. Sometimes the counterfeit parts have been passed off under a respected…

With technology being so prevalent in our world today, there are very few people who haven’t lost data in some form or another. Whether dropping your phone in the toilet or losing information when a computer crashes, everyone has experienced the heartbreak of losing digital files. This article is your friendly reminder about backing up…

The IPC\WHMA-A-620 Rev A standard states that in the absence of agreement on test requirements between manufacturer and user the continuity spec for class 3 assemblies should be 2 ohms, or 1 ohm plus the actual resistance. We agree that this is a reasonable method for determining continuity test specs. However, when more stringent continuity…

Safety in the workplace means more than just identifying and eliminating hazards. Maintaining good employee health is important to company morale and production. Ergonomics are an important element of this. An employee bent over testing cables for hours or leaning across a table to thread a wire through a harness could experience chronic pain not…

By adding automated testing earlier throughout the build process, cable and harness manufacturers can find errors sooner; this saves time, money, and provides a competitive advantage. Rising expectations in the cable/harness industry demand that manufacturers build more complex assemblies in less time. Accomplishing this feat means manufacturers must re-evaluate their processes. How can shops produce…

Do you know the correct resistance settings when building a new test program? While the default settings may work in most situations, you may find tests failing because of a wrong setting—not because of a bad cable. One of the most common settings in a situation like this is the resistance setting. The resistance values…

To get accurate results, your automated testing equipment must be calibrated. An uncalibrated machine can skew results and damage your company. With this in mind, how do you know if your tester is calibrated correctly? Start by purchasing a Cirris Performance Check Kit from Combined Test Solutions. This kit will tell you if your tester…

IEE Code of Practice Plain extension cables above 25 metres fall outside the scope of the IEE’s code of practice which is one reason why many Portable Appliance Testers (PAT) testers do not cater for long cables. The Code requires that the earth bond wire is within 0.1 ohm of its theoretical value and that it…

Many people are familiar with a continuity test. A continuity test checks for “good connections,” meaning current will flow from one point to its destination point. If current flows easily enough then the points are connected. Many people are less familiar with a hipot test or testing cables with High Voltage. “Hipot” is short for…

The all-new Cirris 4200 Series continues the Cirris legacy of easy-to-use cable testers. Updated technology, a new software interface, and innovative features make the 4200 Series a capable tester in the benchtop cable testing market. These cable testers can be readily integrated into your test process.  Available in two configurations, the high voltage 4250 cable…

If a wired assembly has been “tested” does it mean that it is definitely good? What about that bugbear of electrical assemblies – The matter of intermittent faults manifesting in electrical cable assemblies and wire harnesses? Like most electronic assemblies, cable and wire harnesses are subject to manufacturing defects and it is standard procedure to…

If you’re not comfortable with the possibility of choosing a test equipment supplier who doesn’t deliver consistently or lacks the technical expertise and depth of support you need, we’d encourage you to contact us for your testing requirements. Now that we have high capability partners and products to compliment the well-established Cirris cable harness testers,…

Combined Test Solutions Ltd (CTS) new Sub-contract Test Facility June 2017 Whatever the reason a cable or harness is being tested, be it for correct assembly, wiring, insulation or dielectric withstand, an additional array of skills are required to ensure the test objectives are satisfied. Designing a test as well as the test equipment is…

Electrical testing is as essential to cable and wire harness assembly as eating is to staying alive. If you don’t eat you’ll die, and if a company doesn’t check the quality of electrical assemblies it won’t last long either. Just like different people have different diets, how do you know which test method works best…

Whether you are new to automated testing or looking to upgrade your test process, buying the right tester is one of the important decisions you must make. If you’ve started looking at cable testers, you may notice two distinct categories: low voltage and high voltage. The following information may help you decide whether low voltage…

Safety while testing is the top priority for cable and harness manufacturers. Practices are put in place to protect workers from all sorts of hazards. Whether being injured from improper use of tools or materials to being safe around electricity, cable and harness producers want to make sure no one is hurt in any way.…

You build a cable, following each instruction exactly. The result is a masterpiece of wires, components, and connectors. You can’t wait to ship the cable off where it will be used to launch a satellite or power medical equipment. Before that can happen though, you must perform cable testing and your cable must pass a…

In determining best practise and defining the proper test process, one generally considers the trade-off between cost and quality. The initial purchase price, (often the ongoing support costs are neglected), of test equipment is one of the primary factors considered in determining the cost of a test system, but what is often neglected is an…