CAMI Research Inc. (Acton, MA) has been producing innovative bench top CableEye ^® test and cable management systems for over 25 years. Checking continuity (shorts, opens, miswires, intermittent faults), resistance, capacitance, in-line components (value and orientation), and insulation quality (Insulation Resistance, Dielectric Strength) of cables and harnesses, the testers are highly configurable, and automation-ready.

CableEye system capabilities can be expanded post-purchase by adding software and/or hardware options, and by upgrading the tester model itself. CAMI and several of its worldwide, authorized distributors offer these upgrade services making it easy for users to modernize their testers, and to add functionality to meet growing business demands and changing needs.

Software upgrades are near instantaneous. Scheduled hardware upgrades are completed within two business days of receipt of system. The Light Director ^™ guided assembly accessory aside, CAMI Research or an approved distributor must carry out all of the hardware upgrades described here.

Multiconductor testers are powerful tools used for qualifying electrical integrity. They can provide full measurement data, simultaneously, for every pin-to-pin connection. Here we describe cost-effective ways of updating the capabilities of your CableEye tester.

The suite of CableEye testers benefits from a common, easy-to-use software platform across all models, simplifying learning, cross training, and staffing.

All testers can be upgraded by downloading the latest operating software, or a variety of optional add-on software such as the Connector Designer ^™ connector editor, PinMap ^™ fixture editor, and AutoBuild ^™ guided assembly modules.

As a result, CableEye testers can be equipped with more features and capabilites than when first purchased.

More Test Points

Any current model of tester, with the exception of M2Z, may be readily expanded. Expansion modules are stacked beneath the control module, increasing the number of test points by 128 per expansion modules. This upgrade service includes calibration when relevant.

More Sensitive and Precise Resistance Measurement

The 4-Wire Kelvin module is an add-on option for the CableEye HVX high voltage cable tester that permits expanded testing for contact and wire resistance as low as 1 mΩ After checking for opens, shorts, miswires, and resistance limits, the 4-wire Kelvin measurement applies a user-selectable test current from 10 mA to 1 A to determine connection resistance within 1 mΩ. The resistance profile of a model cable may be stored and used as a basis of comparison during later testing to reveal cold solder joints, faulty crimps, recessed pins, pin contact contamination, improper wire gauge, and stressextruded wire.

Four-wire measurement eliminates any effect of fixture resistance to obtain a precise value of the unit under test (UUT) resistance only. The same high-accuracy measurement may be obtained with a short fixture attached directly to the tester, or with a large wire harness fixture that may extend a considerable distance to reach the UUT. Users may optionally set up a high-current stress test for wiring by driving up to 1 A of current through each conductor, and setting a dwell time from 100 ms to 3 min. Increasing resistance during the dwell period may show problems not detected with a shorter measurement interval.

This upgrade option may be added to any of your existing HVX-series testers. Compared to 2-wire 4-wire measurement methods require twice as many test points, so you will need to consider whether to also add expansion modules.

More Control

A Remote Control can be added to HVX-series testers if you need to mount the tester behind a panel or place it in an inaccessible area. The switch permits enabling of a high-voltage emergency stop and HV-active relay contacts.

More Accurate and Faster Connector Assembly

Available for any tester except the M2U-series, the Light Director ^™ system mounts to the top of the control module, and provides more accurate and faster connector assembly. It requires the AutoBuild ^™ software upgrade to operate. The Light Director guided assembly upgrade service can include the mounting and programming of your supplied mating connectors. The Light Director accessory detaches readily from the tester.

The Light Director system provides a computer-guided technique for assembling connectors used in aerospace, medical, and other highreliability applications. This system uses light fibers driven by super-bright LED lamps to individually illuminate target cavities in the connector being assembled. When the technician enters the wire code printed on unconnected wires, or touches a wire connected at the other end, the CableEye software turns on the appropriate fiber, thereby causing a bright, flashing light to project from inside the target cavity guiding the technician to the proper insertion point. Correct insertion is confirmed by the elimination of light from that location, whereas insertion into an incorrect location leaves the flashing light visible.

Using synthetic speech, the Light Director guided-assembly system can read the pin number to the technician, further reinforcing the target location. Speech can be activated in English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish or Turkish when a matching generic voice font has been downloaded. Speech recognition is also available as an option permitting the technician to speak wire codes to the system, thus eliminating the need for a keyboard or monitor.

Normally, technicians crimp pins on wires in advance of assembly to the connector. Wires may be identified during the assembly process by numeric code, bar code, color code, or if no codes are present, by electrical detection using a wrist-strap if the far end of the cable has already been assembled and can be electrically connected to the system. Field testing has shown that the Light Director light-guided assembly system doubles assembly rate over manual methods while nearly eliminating errors. Because the Light Director accessory greatly reduces the perceptual challenge of manually locating pin cavities in a complex connector, technician fatigue is greatly reduced, permitting a continuous, high productivity rate throughout the workday.

CAMI offers warrantied, reconditioned CableEye testers for sale. All of these pre-owned testers and expansion modules have been tested, and are in excellent working condition. Testers that require calibration (e.g. M3, M4, HVX) will have been calibrated. All reconditioned systems ship with the latest software.

CAMI has several upgrade offerings that will allow you to extend the life of your tester keeping it relevant to your changing business and testing needs. Because of the robustness of our design and these upgrade opportunities, we have many customers using testers that are well into their second decade of use.