- Electronic test equipment
Electronic test equipment (sometimes called "testgear") is used to create signals and capture responses from electronic
Devices Under Test (DUTs). In this way, the proper operation of the DUT can be proven or faults in the device can be traced and repaired. Use of electronic test equipment is essential to any serious work on electronics systems.Practical
electronics engineering and assembly requires the use of many different kinds of electronic test equipment ranging from the very simple and inexpensive (such as atest light consisting of just a light bulb and a test lead) to extremely complex and sophisticated such as Automatic Test Equipment.Generally, more advanced test gear is necessary when developing circuits and systems than is needed when doing production testing or when
troubleshooting existing production units in the field.Types of test equipment
Basic equipment
The following items are used for basic measurement of voltages, currents, and components in the circuit under test.
*Voltmeter (Measuresvoltage )
*Ohmmeter (Measures resistance)
*Ammeter , e.g.Galvanometer or Milliameter (Measures current)
*Multimeter e.g., VOM (Volt-Ohm-Milliameter) or DVM (Digital "Volt" Meter) (Measures all of the above)The following are used for stimulus of the circuit under test:
* Power supplies
*Signal generator
*Pattern generator
*Pulse generator The following analyze the response of the circuit under test:
*Oscilloscope (Measures all of the above as they change over time)
*Frequency counter (Measuresfrequency )And connecting it all together:
*Test probe sAdvanced or less commonly used equipment
Meters
*
Solenoid voltmeter ("Wiggy")
*Clamp meter (current transducer)
*Wheatstone bridge (Precisely measures resistance)
*Capacitance meter (Measurescapacitance )
*LCR meter (Measuresinductance ,capacitance , resistance and combinations thereof)
*EMF Meter (Measures Electric and Magnetic Fields)
*Electrometer (Measures charge)Probes
*
RF probe
*Signal tracer Analyzers
*
Logic analyzer (Testsdigital circuit s)
*Spectrum analyzer (SA) (Measures spectral energy of signals)
*Vector signal analyzer (VSA) (Like the SA but it can also perform many more useful digital demodulation functions)
*Time-domain reflectometer for testing integrity of long cablesSignal-generating devices
*
Signal generator
*Frequency synthesiser
*Function generator
*Digital pattern generator
*Pulse generator
*Signal injector Miscellaneous devices
*
Continuity tester
*Cable tester
*Hipot tester
*Network analyzer (used to characterize components or complete computer networks)
*Test light
*Transistor tester
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