An automated portable transducer test system

A set of computer programs was developed to control an automated portable transducer test system. The system hardware, consisting of commercial test equipment and a custom-designed amplifier/attenuator unit, was controlled by a Hewlett-Packard integral personal computer. Pulsed measurements were used for all tests to decrease the effects of self-resonances and reflections, which can corrupt continuous-wave (cw) measurements. This computer-automated transducer test system offers the user a wide selection of tests, such as immittance loops, impedance and phase plots, dc resistance (megohm) measurements, discrete frequency measurements, and FFT analysis. Besides being able to perform each type of test singly, the user can combine test types and setup parameters into “canned” routines in which the system executes a user-defined test sequence. The structure and content of the overall test system are discussed, and a qualitative discussion of the sytem's efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility is given. The limitations of the system and sample test configurations and output are also presented [Work supported by NAVSEA.]