Production and End-of-line (EOL) testing
In today’s competitive GPS market the costs of product failure are damaging. High levels of returns or support calls can impair your reputation and be expensive in lost time and device repair.
Field testing of GNSS products and applications are often unreliable, subjective and difficult to reproduce. On the other hand, artificial simulation doesn’t allow you to test for real world environments.
LabSat Record and Replay combines the benefits of these two approaches, and allows for repeatable, consistent testing in the laboratory. And once a design goes into production, LabSat still has an important role to play.
Reliability and repeatability are just as essential in end-of-line production testing and validation. By using a testing regime that can include GNSS reception validation all the way up to a fully functional test using Record and Replay, consistent standards can be maintained.
Frequently asked questions
We've attempted to answer some of the more commonly asked questions regarding the end-of-line testing with LabSat. However, if there's anything we've not been able to answer please don't hesitate to get in touch and one of our LabSat engineers will be delighted to help you.
LabSat Record and Replay has significant advantages over live sky and signal rebroadcast in terms of repeatability and reliability in production line testing.
Live sky and rebroadcast signals can contain signal errors from the GNSS system and local interference that can be difficult to identify. By using LabSat scenario files (recorded GNSS files) you can be sure that the signal is consistent. It’s also possible to use scenarios that have been artificially generated by SatGen software. This would ensure that your GNSS test signals are genuine and interference-free.
Using record and replay to support your GNSS products saves money and time. For example LabSat can be used to easily test device functionality and confirm device failure.
LabSat can also be used to validate GNSS repair quality and firmware upgrades. The flexibility of the system is best demonstrated together with SatGen signal generation software. This affordable combination means that you can easily reproduce a short scenario anywhere, at any time and with any dynamics to recreate the situation where the problem occurred. It works by using Google Earth to recreate a path, and then SatGen to convert the kml file to a LabSat scenario for quick diagnosis of the device failure.
LabSat 3 is equipped with an Ethernet interface to allow remote control over a Local Area Network (LAN). Remote control is accomplished using simple text based commands through the Telnet protocol.
For users wishing to control LabSat 3 using the C# programming language, a Microsoft Dot Net API is available to allow functions of a LabSat 3 connected via LAN to be accessed programmatically.
For an information pack including reference manuals and examples of code together with an application to view command examples please contact your local LabSat distributor or visit the LabSat support section of the website.
LabSat 3 contains a loop feature that allows you to repeat the same scenario over and over again. The user can specify the scenario to repeat indefinitely. This advanced feature allows for a production line test scenario to be repeated automatically.
It’s important to maintain consistent procedures even if your company has different testing facilities around the world. Because the LabSat range has two variants per model, it’s easy to maintain control whilst keeping the Record and Replay investment affordable.
LabSat options comprise of Record and Replay and Replay Only - by investing in a LabSat record and replay device at your main research facility, standard scenarios can easily be created and deployed to other centres.
For production facilities, a more affordable LabSat Replay Only model allows selected scenarios to be replayed at the end of line production testing. A Replay Only model can also be installed at support and repair facilities for device diagnosis and repair testing.
