NEED
Cable TV system operators purchase and maintain a large quantity of
sophisticated addressable converters for installation into their subscriber's
homes. There is a premium placed on verifying that a unit has been received from
the manufacturer in working condition before placing it at a subscriber's
location.
In addition, units that fail in service can be diagnosed and possibly
repaired by the operator, rather than being returned to the factory for repair.
SOLUTION
We designed and constructed a computer-controlled automatic tester for the
TOCOM 55 Plus Addressable Converter for use at the manufacturer's production
facility. By adding , this test station can be used by any cable TV operator for
the 55 Plus Converter.
The test operator does not directly handle any of the equipment in the test
station; rather, all control is managed through the test
head and computer (JPG 11k). Test results are displayed in both English and
Spanish, and the operator is prompted through the test sequence, thereby
simplifying the training process.
The Benefits: A complete functional test is performed in less
than five minutes (JPG 12k), including all installed options such as remote
control and two-cable operation. Operator training is minimized, allowing a
lower skill-level operator to perform inspection tests, freeing higher
skill-level operators for trouble-shooting and repair. The cable system operator
also experiences lower inventory requirements and fewer units returned for
factory repair, thus reducing inventory.
RESULTS
Three sets of nine different testers (27 total) were developed for this
program.
