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The Customer

TouchSensor Technologies manufactures glass front control panels for consumer appliances. Their interfaces use TouchCells and often incorporate displays such as LEDs and LCDs which operate in unison with the TouchCells.

TouchSensor is known for its designs and manufacturing of patented digital switches for use in touch-sensitive user interface panels. In addition to appliances, these panels are used for exercise equipment, medical equipment, industrial devices, consumer electronics, gaming, and vending machines. Much more durable than mechanical and membrane switches, TouchSensor keypads have become the new standard for solid-state switching.

The Problem

Since TouchSensor manufactures their own control panels, they are always looking for ways to improve quality and speed manufacture testing. All panel designs are unique, but share some key characteristics in the nature of the TouchCell technology. TouchSensor came to SSI looking for a hardware and software solution for a test fixture to be used at the end of the assembly process. This fixture would have a shared hardware design, but the firmware and connectors would be customized for each new product.

The SSI Solution

By using a single test fixture platform, and modifying the firmware on the platform to test various TouchSensor products, TouchSensor is able to standardize their test procedure, as well as obtain test fixtures for new products quickly and easily.

The test fixture designed is adaptable to a wide variety of target hardware.  In this vein, it has multiple digital and analog inputs, as well as I2C and SPI bus connections.  The fixture is connected to its target hardware via a wiring harness that maps the appropriate pins on the fixture to those being tested on the target.

The goal to standardize the test procedure, as well as obtain test fixtures for new products quickly and easily, was accomplished.

TouchSensor, as well as their previous owner Schott, have had a long working relationship with SSI, and trust us to deliver working solutions within the allotted time and budget.  In addition, continuing to work with SSI allows them to continue utilizing the fixture hardware we initially developed in future projects.

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