Switching system for multi-channel testing
View Patent ↗A switching system for interfacing a single channel test equipment with a multi-channel device under test, the switching system including: an input connection for connecting to the single channel test equipment; an N-way switch having an N-way switch input coupled to the input connection, the N-way switch having N switch outputs; N output connections coupled to the N switch outputs, the N output connections for connecting to inputs of the multi-channel device under test; a controller coupled to the N-way switch for controlling a connection between the N-way switch input and one of the N switch outputs.
1. A switching system for interfacing a single channel test equipment with a multi-channel device under test, the switching system comprising:
an input connection for connecting to the single channel test equipment;
an N-way switch having an N-way switch input coupled to the input connection, the N-way switch having N switch outputs, where N is an integer greater than 1;
N output connections coupled to the N switch outputs, the N output connections for connecting to inputs of the multi-channel device under test; and
a controller coupled to the N-way switch for controlling a connection between the N-way switch input and one of the N switch outputs;
wherein the controller receives control commands to automatically connect the N-way switch input to one of the N switch outputs, the controller including a manual switch disabling the automatically connecting the N-way switch input to one of the N switch outputs.
2. A switching system for interfacing a single channel test equipment with a multi-channel device under test, the switching system comprising:
an input connection for connecting to the single channel test equipment;
an N-way switch having an N-way switch input coupled to the input connection, the N-way switch having N switch outputs, where N is an integer greater than 1;
N output connections coupled to the N switch outputs, the N output connections for connecting to inputs of the multi-channel device under test;
a controller coupled to the N-way switch for controlling a connection between the N-way switch input and one of the N switch outputs,
a splitter connected to an Nth switch output; and
a switch receiving an output from the splitter at a first contact and receiving a first N-way switch output at a second contact, the switch selectively coupling one of the output from the splitter and first N-way switch output to a first output connection of the N output connections.
3. The switching system of claim 2 wherein:
the controller controls the status of the switch to toggle between the first contact and the second contact.
4. The switching system of claim 1 wherein:
the controller includes a control input for receiving control commands from an external control system.
5. The switching system of claim 1 wherein:
the controller includes a button for cycling the N-way switch when the manual switch disables controller response to the control commands from the external control system.
6. A method for interfacing a single channel test equipment with a multi-channel device under test, the method comprising:
coupling an input connection to the single channel test equipment;
coupling an N-way switch having an N-way switch input to the input connection, the N-way switch having N switch outputs, where N is an integer greater than 1;
coupling N output connections for connecting to inputs of the multi-channel device under test, the N output connections coupled to the N switch outputs;
using a controller coupled to the N-way switch to control a connection between the N-way switch input and one of the N-way switch outputs, the controller automatically connecting the N-way switch input to one of the N switch outputs in response to control commands;
using a manual input to disable the automatically connecting the N-way switch input to one of the N switch outputs.
7. A method for interfacing a single channel test equipment with a multi-channel device under test, the method comprising:
coupling an input connection to the single channel test equipment;
coupling an N-way switch having an N-way switch input to the input connection, the N-way switch having N switch outputs, where N is an integer greater than 1;
coupling N output connections for connecting to inputs of the multi-channel device under test, the N output connections coupled to the N switch outputs;
using a controller coupled to the N-way switch to control a connection between the N-way switch input and one of the N-way switch outputs;
coupling a splitter to an Nth switch output; and
receiving at a switch an output from the splitter at a first contact and receiving a first N-way switch output at a second contact and selectively coupling one of the output from the splitter and the first N-way switch output to a first output connection of the N output connections.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein:
the controller controls the status of the switch to toggle between the first contact and the second contact.
9. The method of claim 6 wherein:
the controller includes a control input for receiving control commands from an external control system.
10. The method of claim 6 wherein:
using a button to cycle the N-way switch when the controller response to the control commands from the external control system is disabled.