Functional testing at the incoming inspection
Service centers repairing mobile phones and wireless data cards get a lot of wireless terminals every day. The incoming inspection tests each of them, separating intact ones from the faulty ones, and identifying the possible source of errors. For this purpose a comprehensive test is run under predetermined conditions: A call is set up with a virtual network, and the connection is used to test the transmitter and receiver characteristics. The test should be performed over an antenna coupler (so to include the antenna in the test) and in a shielded environment (to avoid interference with the real network).
The test is usually run as an automated procedure to ensure that it is always run under the same conditions (and to avoid operating errors by personnel), and to produce a test protocol, enabling the technician at the repair station to identify the source of the error and fix the fault. Willtek recommends its 7310 Lector and Scriptor family of test automation software with ready-to-go test scripts for mobile phone testing.
Given the high number of phones to test, special care should be taken to pick a fast tester that produces a high test throughput – such as the 3110 Mobile Service Tester!
Final testing
Once a mobile phone is repaired, eventually calibrated and reassembled, it is submitted to a final test to ensure that it is fully functional and complies with the quality requirements. This functional test again consists of a call setup with measurements in the various frequency bands and at different power levels. The test is performed before it is packed in a box and shipped back to the customer.
Automated testing is a prerequisite for fast and reliable measurements, ensuring high throughput and subsequently low testing cost per phone.
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