Test Firmware and JIG for Photon based product

The Archive Product Creation
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Hello folks,

I’m building a small batch of products powered by the Photon and I’m trying to figure out how to test them in the assembly line. @mebrunet, @G65434_2 have you guys built a test JIG and test firmware to test your products? If so, would you mind giving me a pointer of where to start :smile:?

@mdma, @zachary [The Guide] (https://docs.particle.io/guide/how-to-build-a-product/manufacturing/) mentions that these things will be coming soon:

  • Particle Test Firmware for simple functional evaluations
  • Detailed documentation for interacting with Particle’s default test suite
  • Resources and references for test jig fabrication

Any chance some parts of it are available already?

Thanks guys!

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The 0.4.9 system firmware includes the test support that we use to test devices on the manufacturing line.

(Contrary to the docs this works over Serial and Serial1.)

The firmware also has a number of integration tests stored under user/tests/wiring/ you could create a new test similar to these to test your application specific functionality.

I hope that helps. :smile:

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Hi @sazp96,

I’m not sure what we’ve put together is particularly transferable. However, one key take away is to test the photon’s RBG LED before soldering. We’ve seen issues with 2-3% of the LEDs.

We first load a test firmware the Photons to check:

  • LEDs
  • the I/O pins we use
  • ability to use external wifi antenna

We then press a Photon on a jig running a special test firmware onto our PCB to test the peripherals.

Then we solder up the boards and Photons that passed, flash with released product firmware and run an external test script that does a short end-to-end product test.

Hope that helps!

Cheers,
M-E

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@mebrunet, the led is sensitive to humidity and something you might want to work with your CM about to improve the yield :slight_smile:

One way people test it is to check if current is flowing through the led but that increases the complexity of your test jig. This eliminates the issue of oversight by factory workers for not physically eyeballing the test process.

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