Blog - Insights into Switching & Simulation Technology for Test

How to Select a Programmable Resistor for Sensor Simulation

Written by Nick Hickford | May 21, 2021 8:52:59 PM

If you think about it, sensors control much of our daily lives. Sensors ensure that the food in your refrigerator stays cold, count your steps on a smartphone, and even protect you in an automobile accident. So many devices in our personal lives as well as in business contain sensors.

All of these sensors add a layer of complexity to your test strategy, as you need to simulate them when testing the circuit board that makes decisions based on a sensor’s response. Since it is usually not practical to incorporate actual sensors into a test fixture, that's where programmable resistors come in.

These modules can be used in many applications to simulate resistive sensors such as those used for temperature, strain, light, force, and level measurement. The resistors enable you to create a small test system and therefore build in cost reductions into the system's design since you will not have to physically simulate the environment of the sensor.

For example, if you used actual temperature sensors in a test, you would need a heat source to make the sensor react. A strain gauge would require a mechanical fixture that flexes a plate on which a strain gauge is mounted. Not only would the test system be much larger, but chances are it would be slower when compared to using sensor simulation, and less repeatable.

Check out the short video below to learn more about PXI & PCI Programmable Resistor modules for Sensor Simulation and how to select the right product for your application.

You may also be interested in checking out our range of resistor modules and simulation products



 

Looking for additional resources on this topic? Browse our Knowledgebase and Resource articles for more information, and download our free white paper, "Understanding Programmable Resistors for Sensor Simulation in Test."