Power Testing

Proving the Power Stage Under Load

Power problems rarely announce themselves on the bench. A board can pass every static measurement and still fail in the field, because the fault only appears once the board is live — under load, or during the brief window while the rails are coming up.

We carry out power testing primarily on SPEA flying probe systems, using a fixture where the application calls for one. Which route suits your board depends on what needs contacting, how the rails have to be loaded, and the volumes involved — we work that out with you rather than starting from a fixed answer.

Validation covers comprehensive power supply and power sequencing checks — verifying voltage rails, current draw and protection circuits under real operating conditions, so your product performs safely and reliably where it matters:

• Voltage rail verification across supply outputs
• Power sequencing and start-up behaviour
• Current draw, quiescent and under load
• Protection circuits — over-voltage, over-current and thermal
• Power-on and device functionality checks on the same system

Sequencing is the part most often missed. Where a design brings multiple rails up in a defined order, getting that order or its timing wrong can stress devices without producing an obvious failure at test — leaving a fault that surfaces later as a field return.

Running powered test on the same system that performs your in-circuit test means one setup, one program and one set of results, rather than moving boards to a separate rig to prove the power stage.

If you have a power test requirement we have not come across before, we will work through it with you to identify the right approach rather than force it into an existing one.

Call us to discuss your needs and leverage our understanding of test.