Automatic electronic test equipment and method

Apparatus for testing electronic equipment comprising:

• a general purpose digital computer programmable with a series of digital words;
• a plurality of digital to analog converters electrically connected to said computer for selectively converting a digital word into a predetermined voltage level;
• a plurality of digital to synchro converters for selectively converting a digital word into three predetermined amplitude alternating current synchro signals;
• a plural lead test terminal adapted to be electronically connected to the electronic equipment to be tested;
• a measurement unit electrically connected to said computer, said measurement unit including an analog to digital converter for converting a voltage level into a digital word and an analog to digital converter for converting the relative amplitudes of response synchro signals into a digital word;
• switching means electrically connected to said computer for selectively operably interconnecting said digital to analog converters to the leads of said test terminal and the leads of said test terminal to said measurement unit;
• said computer being programmable for the equipment to be tested to control the numeric generation of a voltage waveform by said digital to analog converters, to control the numeric generation of the three synchro signals by said plurality of digital to synchro converters, to control the interconnections of said switching means, and to store digital words related to acceptable voltage response levels and related to acceptable differences in the amplitudes of the three synchro signals;
• said computer being further programmable to compare both the voltage level related digital word and the synchro response related digital word generated by said measurement unit with the digital words related to the acceptable response of the equipment to be tested;
• and
• display means electrically interconnected to said computer for displaying the results of said comparison.

Apparatus for testing electronic equipment comprising:

• a general purpose digital computer programmable with a series of digital words;
• a plurality of digital to analog converters electrically connected to said computer for selectively converting a digital word into a predetermined voltage level;
• a second plurality of digital to analog converters electrically connected to said computer for selectively converting a digital word into a predetermined rate of current flow;
• a plural lead test terminal adapted to be electronically connected to the electronic equipment to be tested;
• a measurement unit electrically connected to said computer, said measurement unit including an analog to digital converter for converting a voltage level into a digital word and an analog to digital converter for converting rate of response current flow into a digital word;
• switching means electrically connected to said computer for selectively operably interconnecting said digital to analog converters to the leads of said test terminal and the leads of said test terminal to said measurement unit;
• said computer being programmable for the equipment to be tested to control the numeric generation of a voltage waveform by said plurality of digital to analog converters, to control the numeric generation of a current waveform by said second plurality of digital to analog converters, to control the interconnections of said switching means, and to store digital words related to acceptable voltage response levels and related to acceptable rates of response current flow;
• said computer being further programmable to compare both the voltage level related digital word and the response current flow related digital work generated by said measurement unit with the digital words related to the acceptable response of the equipment to be tested;
• and
• display means electrically interconnected to said computer for displaying the results of said comparison.