Removing Physical Presence Requirements for a Remote and Automated World - API Controlled Patch Panel for Conformance Testing

Author

Hunter George Wells, University of New Hampshire, DurhamFollow

Date of Award

Spring 2022

Project Type

Senior Honors Thesis

College or School

CEPS

Department

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Program or Major

Computer Engineering

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

First Advisor

Professor Qiaoyan Yu

Second Advisor

Robert Noseworthy

Abstract

Quality assurance test engineers at the UNH-InterOperability Lab must run tests that require driving and monitoring a selection of DC signals. While the number of signals is numerous, there are limited ports on the test equipment, and only a few signals need patching for any given test. The selection of signals may vary between the 209 different tests and must be re-routed frequently. Currently, testers must leave their desk to manually modify the test setup in another room. This posed a considerable issue at the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic when physical access was not possible. In order to enable future remote testing and human-free automation, there is a need for a remote patching device. Such a device was designed, constructed, and deployed. The process of designing the product involved defining design constraints, developing conceptual designs, selecting components and generating an electrical schematic, prototyping and iterating PCB versions, and final deployment and testing of the product.

Recommended Citation

Wells, Hunter George, "Removing Physical Presence Requirements for a Remote and Automated World - API Controlled Patch Panel for Conformance Testing" (2022). Honors Theses and Capstones. 636.
https://scholars.unh.edu/honors/636