Test Specification

The functional test specification required:

• BMS firmware flashing
• Cell emulation
• Thermistor emulation
• Temperature and voltage tests
• Communication over CAN and serial buses
• Analyzing LED status indicators

Each BMS test results in a report with metadata identifying the DUT, test system configuration, and test results with limits included.

Systems Engineering

DMC had to factor in many requirements including test accuracy, cycle time, operator ergonomics, and overall system envelope. DMC leveraged our internal fabrication shop and carefully selected external vendors like Pickering for robust hardware solutions. The software design leaned on DMC’s existing platforms and tools to minimize costs while maintaining performance and reliability.

DMC divided the hardware design into modular sub-systems: data acquisition box, Bed-of-Nails test fixture, and instrument rack. The rack design housed multiple Pickering LXI chassis containing cell simulation and thermistor cards. The interfaces between these sub-systems were well defined early in the design process, along with consistent communication to minimize design siloing.

Software Design

Software customizability was a major consideration for the client, DMC built upon its proven Battery Production Test (BPT) platform to meet client’s software requirements. Some highlights include:

• Intuitive user interface and user experience design
• Customizable test sequences through NI TestStand
• Traceable reports with MES integration
• Tracked and version-controlled test configurations (workspaces)

Conclusion

DMC delivered a robust and highly configurable system on a deadline, providing our client with BMS test capability ahead of their full battery pack assembly line. The solution detects manufacturing defects and provides traceable test results to each battery under test.

Learn more about DMC’s Battery Production Test (BPT) System, check out this BMS Power HiL Test System, or contact us to discuss your next project.

The post Bed-of-Nails Battery Management System PCB Test Station appeared first on DMC, Inc..

DMC recreated the system’s functionality on the IPC477 Panel PC with an S7-1507S F Software Controller and WinCC Advanced HMI, directly interfacing with ET200 Remote IO stations and controlling Silicon Control Rectifiers (SCRs) over PROFINET. Replacing the executables running on the IPC with a Software Controller and WinCC RT Advanced makes the control and user interface easier to modify and update as needed.  

This new system interacts with the inputs and outputs more easily than before, which is particularly important for the Failsafe IO when controlling high-temperature furnaces with the capability of introducing hydrogen gas during the process.

To facilitate testing and validating the project, DMC implemented a simulation mode that disables physical outputs and allows engineers to simulate inputs to see how the system will react. This simulation mode reduced the time needed to commission and validate safety measure on the system, as well as accelerate future development for other similar furnace systems.

The applications running on the IPC had nice features for Trending, Exporting Data Logs, and Managing Recipes for the machine. However, DMC was able to recreate these with built-in WinCC Advanced Trending, Recipe Management, Historical Data, and scripted functions.

The client now only needs to support and develop code in one programming environment, when before there were three.

Manual Furnace Control Screen, showing the status of the chamber and each device.

Learn more about DMC’s Siemens Expertise.

The post Simatic S7 Upgrade for High Temperature Flammable Gas appeared first on DMC, Inc..

The only required manual interaction is to keep the machine supplied with the raw circuit boards and molded housings. The 6 Axis robot handles the loading, inspecting, and scrap removal for the raw circuit boards. The SCARA robot performs the inspection and assembly of the individual laser-cut circuit boards.  

Since the same controller controls the robots, it was easy to set up zone interlocks to keep the two robots from colliding during the process (since they can share the same space in certain parts of the machine).

The robots can be easily configured to perform different tasks, making the overall system very flexible and expandable. Change-overs are very quick since most of the changes are software-driven, requiring only a few tooling changes and a part type selection on the operator interface screen.

The post Epson Robotic Assembly Cell for Automotive Torque Sensors appeared first on DMC, Inc..

Learn more about DMC’s Allen Bradley PLC programming services.

The post Allen Bradley PLC Programming appeared first on DMC, Inc..

The post Silicon Wafer Processing appeared first on DMC, Inc..

The post Automotive Sensor Testing appeared first on DMC, Inc..

Burn-in testing is performed on finished components and involves performing full operational testing over temperature limits to screen out latent failures. The improved system is based on National Instruments’ PXI platform. DMC programmed a custom LabVIEW application to control all functions of the test station including querying part-number specific information from a database, configuring each device channel based on part number, controlling the ambient temperature of the test fixtures, actively operating each device using a feedback-loop control routine, recording all device operating parameters to an XML file, performing pass/fail analysis on parts at test completion, and logging all final test results to an Oracle database. System specifications include the ability to actively test up to 32 devices in parallel, setup and run devices in groups of 8, achieve a 75% reduction of setup time by loading devices without unspooling of optical fiber, a novel optical system to eliminate spurious power fluctuations, and reduced station cost of 50% through leveraging COTS (Commercial Off the Shelf) test system components.

The post Burn-in Test System for Fiber-Optic Devices appeared first on DMC, Inc..

DMC’s solution is based on National Instruments’ LabVIEW software, NI DAQ hardware, and commercial optical test equipment. The custom LabVIEW application controls all functions of the test station including: querying part-number specific information from a database, configuring device and instrument settings based on part number, actively optimizing and testing each device, performing pass/fail analysis on parts at test completion, recording all device operating parameters to an Oracle database, and generating HTML engineering reports.

The post Fiber-Optic Data Transmission Test System appeared first on DMC, Inc..

The software system starts and controls the RF plasma generator, balancing electronics, mass flow controllers, and chamber pressure controller. As a result, configuration of the system involves only loading of a substrate and selection of the required deposition recipe, as opposed to setting multiple configuration settings. During deposition, the software continually monitors the process, logs measured parameters, and checks process variables for alarm conditions. The application also can automatically shut down the system after an alarm or at the specified process time.

The post Process Control System for Film Deposition Tool appeared first on DMC, Inc..