Quick free product testing for Environmental and ESD issuesby Sanjay MishraHere we present ways do free product testing quickly on the bench. Such environmental testing and ESD test enables us to identify and correct problems right in the prototype stage. Temperature testing, ESD testing If you require a formal certification you will have to get it certified by formal testing laboratory. Environmental testing laboratories will give you a quote and a schedule for getting such testing done. Depending on the testing that you want to perform these may turn out to be expensive. You want to be very sure that you will not have any major problems when you show up at the lab with your product and its test harness. Here we present a few ways that we have found for testing the product on the bench. This way we avoid expensive and time consuming trips to the laboratory. Temperature testingHigh temperature Heat the prototype product with a hot air gun. Be careful to set the temperature of the hot air gun really low else you may burn off parts. Have the product working. It should keep on working as the temperature rises. This is a quick and dirty way of identifying issues. You can get more fancy with this, measuring temperature with a wireless infrared thermometer, doing temperature cycling etc. Low Temperature You can use Freeze Mist to rapidly cool the parts. Temperature Chambers Used temperature chambers are cheap. You can buy one and install one at your laboratory if you have the place. Temperature chambers also allow you to run more rigorous tests setting up temperature cycle times. Electrostatic Discharge aka ESD TestingProfessional ESD Testing equipment tends to be expensive. Here is a quick and dirty shortcut. Cigarette lighters and gas lighters generate a ESD discharge of 8kilo Volt at their tip. These are cheap and easy to get. Get a cheap used gas lighter, take its plastic cover off and voila you have your own ESD tester. It is helpful to perform an ESD discharge close to where your product will interface to the outside world. Take all safety precautions and use this suggestion at your own risk.These are not a complete substitute for professional ESD test equipment that go up 15-18kilo Volt or more. However they can be used to quickly test your product on the bench. Need More Help? Have An Opinion?
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