Creating A New Keypad File

To create a new Keypad File, select "New" from the "File" menu. A blank Keypad File will appear and the Edit Info window for the file will open. You should confirm the test configuration and default values before proceeding. Note: You can change this information later by selecting "Edit Info..." from the "Edit" menu or clicking on the Edit Info tool button. See Edit Info window below for more information.

Opening An Existing Keypad File

To open an existing Keypad File, select "Open" from the "File" menu or double click on the file in the file browser on the left side of the screen.

In order to edit a Keypad File you must be in the Edit Keypad File mode. To enter the edit mode select "Edit Keypad File" from the "File" menu.

Learning A Keypad File Automatically

The Mistral was designed to make defining a new Keypad File fast and easy. First create a new file as described above. Connect a known good Keypad to the pod and click on the Learn Keypad File tool button (it looks like a magic wand). After confirming that you have a Keypad attached the system will automatically begin learning, looking first for permanent connections and LED's. The right LED on the front panel of the pod will turn red while this scan is being done. If any LED's are found you will be asked to confirm the LED is lit by clicking on a gray LED item in the Keypad File's window.

When the LED's are complete, the right LED on the front panel of the pod will turn orange and the system will begin scanning for keys. Press a key on the Keypad and hold it until the pod beeps and the cursor on the screen changes to an arrow with a question mark. Then click on the gray switch item corresponding to the key pressed. Repeat this process for all the keys on the Keypad and then press End Learning.

While learning, the system will automatically add items for any permanent connections, LED's or switches it finds if no unused items are available. You may add items before learning (see below) or "re-learn" a Keypad File that has already been learned. Tip: You can set the size of items that will be added automatically. See Defining A Keypad File Manually below to find out how to set item sizes.

At any time during the learning process you can move items around by clicking and dragging them or using the arrow keys. You can also edit an item's properties by clicking on the item and changing the information in the properties box (see Item Properties below for more information).

If the keypad has any pins or a shield that are not connected to any switches, LED's or permanent connections, you will need to add isolation points for them if you would like them to be included when checking for shorts,. These types of connections can't be detected during learning because they are not electrically connected to any other pins.

Defining A Keypad File Manually

If a known good keypad is not available, the Keypad File can be defined manually. You will need to add items (switches, LED's, series LED's, permanent connections and isolation points) for each circuit on the Keypad you want to test.

To set an item's size before adding it, click on the item's tool using the right mouse button. When the size menu appears select the desired size. Each item type can have a different size. The size you set will also be used when adding items while learning a Keypad File automatically. Note: The currently selected size is given in the "Tool Tip" when you hold the mouse pointer over an item's tool button. Also, you can change the size of an item already in the Keypad File using the grow and shrink tools described below.

To add an item, drag it from the tool area on to the Keypad File window or click on the item tool and then click in the Keypad File. You will need to either edit the pin numbers in the Item Properties to correspond to the Keypad connections or use the Probe Keypad function to add pin numbers.

While you are editing you can move items around by clicking and dragging them or using the arrow keys. To edit an item's properties click on the item and change the information in the properties box (see Item Properties below for more information).

Using The Tools

Select/Move

Use this tool to select items to move, edit or delete. To move an item, line or text, click and drag with this tool or click on it and move using the arrow keys. To edit an item, use this tool to select it and then edit the information in the properties box. To delete an item, line or text select it and press the "Del" key or select "Delete" from the "Edit" menu. You can select multiple items to move, resize or delete by holding the mouse button down while dragging the pointer over the items you want to select. You can also select multiple items by holding the shift key down while clicking on each item.

Draw Line

Click on this tool to draw lines in the Keypad File window. Lines are for aiding in orienting the Keypad during test and do not represent any electrical connections.

To draw a line, select this tool and click at the point in the Keypad File window where you would like the line to start. A small "+" will appear. Then click at the point where you would like the line to end to finish the line. Lines are always made horizontal or vertical and snap to the nearest point on the grid.

Add/Edit Text

Select this tool to add text to the Keypad File or to edit existing text. This can be used to add notes such as connector position or Keypad orientation to the Keypad File.

To add text, select this tool and click in the Keypad File window where you would like to add text. A small box with a cursor will appear. As you type the box will adjust to fit the text.

To edit existing text, select this tool and click in the box of the text you would like to edit

Edit Info

Clicking on this tool opens the Edit Info window (you can also open the window by selecting "Edit Info..." from the "Edit" menu). This window contains various setup information for the Keypad File. This is where you set the default value for maximum switch resistance and LED test current and the minimum isolation resistance. These values should be set before you add items to the Keypad File or use the Learn Keypad tool. See Edit Info window below for more information.

Grow Item

Click on this tool to make a selected item or items larger. You can also grow an item by selecting "Grow" from the "Edit" menu or pressing Ctrl+G.

Shrink Item

Click on this tool to make a selected item or items smaller. You can also shrink an item by selecting "Shrink" from the "Edit" menu or pressing Ctrl+K.

Add Switch Item

Click and drag this tool icon on to the Keypad File window or click on this tool and then click on the Keypad File window to add a switch. Select the size to add by clicking and holding on this tool until the size menu appears and then selecting the desired size.

Add LED Item

To add an LED item, click and drag this tool icon on to the Keypad File window or click on this tool and then click on the Keypad File window. Select the size to add by clicking and holding on this tool until the size menu appears and then selecting the desired size. Tip: If you are in edit mode and you click on an LED item that has its pins correctly assigned and you have a Mistral and Keypad connected, the LED on the Keypad will illuminate briefly. Also, you can then hold the mouse over the item to see the voltage across the LED when the Forward Voltage Test Current is applied.

Add Perm. Connection Item

To add a permanent connection item (two pins that are always connected together), click and drag this tool icon on to the Keypad File window or click on this tool and then click on the Keypad File window. Select the size to add by clicking and holding on this tool until the size menu appears and then selecting the desired size.

Add Isolation Pt. Item

Click and drag this tool icon on to the Keypad File window or click on this tool and then click on the Keypad File window to add an isolation point item. An isolation point represents a single pin on the pod connector that you would like to be checked against all other pins used in the Keypad File even though it is not connected to any switches, LED's or permanent connections. You may want to use this to make sure an unused pin isn't shorted to another pin or as a connection point for a shield on the Keypad that should be isolated from all other connections. Isolation points must be manually added; they can't be detected during learning because they are not electrically connected to any other pins.

Add Series LED Item

Click and drag this tool icon on to the Keypad File window or click on this tool and then click on the Keypad File window to add a series LED. A series LED is two or more LED's connected in series on the Keypad. This item should only be used when you have an LED configuration where the forward voltage may be greater than 15V. The Mistral cannot always detect and test this type of configuration. By defining a series LED item you can still have the Mistral illuminate the LED's as part of the test. You must define series LED items manually since the Mistral can not detect them. Use this item if after learning a Keypad, LED's connected in series were not detected. Tip: If you are in edit mode and you click on a series LED item that has its pins correctly assigned and you have a Mistral and Keypad connected, the LED on the Keypad will illuminate briefly.
Warning: The operator will need to make sure that series LED's light up when testing; the Mistral may not be able to test them electrically.

Learn Keypad File

Click on this tool to learn a Keypad File. See Learning A Keypad File Automatically above for more information.

Probe Keypad

Clicking on this tool lets you find out the pin number of a point on the adapter or on your Keypad. This can be handy if you have a high density adapter board or a custom fixture and need to figure out how the pin number the Mistral uses translates to a pin number on your Keypad. You will need to connect a probe to one of the spade connectors on the adapter (the software will tell you which one).

When you probe a pin, the pin number will appear just below and to the right of the mouse pointer. If you have any items in the keypad file that have unassigned pins, you can click on the item to have that pin number added to the item.

Set Test Sequence

Click on this tool to set the order that LED's and switches are tested. For LED's the Test Sequence is the order they are illuminated when testing if "Illuminate each LED for confirmation by operator" is checked in the Testing tab of the Edit Info window. For switches the Test Sequence is the order the switches must be pressed if "Switches must be pressed in sequence" is checked in the Testing tab of the Edit Info window.

To set the Test Sequence, click on the LED's and switches in the order you would like them to be tested. After you click an item, its Test Sequence number will appear in the upper right corner of the item's graphic. You only set the Test Sequence for LED's and switches; clicking any other item will have no effect.

When you are done setting Test Sequence press the "Stop Set Sequence" button. Any LED's or switches that do not have a Test Sequence number when the "Stop Set Sequence" button is pressed will have a number assigned automatically.

To view the Test Sequence at any time, select "Show Test Sequence" from the "File" menu.

Edit Info Window

The Edit Info window contains setup information that applies to the Keypad File as a whole. Open the window by choosing the file's window and selecting "Edit Info..." from the "Edit" menu or clicking on the Edit Info tool button.

The Edit Info window is organized on four "tabs". Click on the name of the tab at the top of the window to move to that tab.

General This tab contains general file information. Internal Part Number and Rev, Customer, Customer ID, and Customer Part Number and Rev Internal Part Number and Rev and Customer will appear at the bottom of the main window when the file is open. All of these fields appear in job and life cycle test log files and can be included on labels. File Editing Password Enter a password here to restrict the ability to edit the file. If this field is not blank, you will be prompted to enter the password the next time you attempt to open the file in edit mode. Keypad Background Graphic You may select a graphic file to be displayed behind the items in the Keypad File's window. This can be a picture of the actual keypad or any other JPEG (.jpg), GIF (.gif) or bitmap (.bmp) file. The graphic is saved in the Keypad File once it has been selected and is displayed actual size. Be careful not to select a file that is too big as you may run out of memory. Click "Browse..." to select a new file or "No Picture" if you would like to remove the previously selected background graphic. Last Update and Last Used These are the dates the Keypad File was last modified and the last time it was used for a job. Testing This tab contains information about how testing is performed. Short Test Minimum Isolation Resistance This is the minimum resistance between any two pins that do not have an LED or permanent connection between them, including a switch that is not pressed. This is also the minimum resistance between any pin and any isolation point. During testing, any resistance paths less than this threshold will be indicated either in one of the items or in a dialog box. This is also the maximum resistance allowed for a permanent connection. LED Testing Do a continuous LED electrical test The Mistral will always electrically test the LED's. You have the option of having the forward voltage test run continuously until you tell it to stop. This may help detect intermittent LED connections by allowing the operator to flex the Keypad while testing. Illuminate each LED for confirmation by operator The Mistral always electrically tests each LED on a Keypad. If you would also like to visually inspect each LED during testing, check "Illuminate each LED for confirmation by operator". LED visual inspection can be done in two ways. If "Pause after each LED" is selected, each LED on the Keypad will be illuminated until you click on the item or press the space bar. If "Cycle through X LED's per second" is selected, each LED is illuminated for a short period of time in sequence. After all of the LED's have been illuminated at least once, you can click on any LED item or press the space bar to advance to the switch test. Click on the button with the down arrow to select the number of LED's to illuminate per second. Tip: To set the order that LED's are illuminated use the Set Test Sequence tool. Switch Testing Switches must be pressed in sequence When this option is checked, the switches must be pressed in the order indicated by the Test Sequence. The switch that needs to be pressed next will flash. Tip: To set the test order when testing switches in sequence use the Set Test Sequence tool. Since the Mistral is only looking for one switch at a time when using this method of testing, it may work better for keypads with switches interconnected by resistors. Also, using this test method allows testing of multiple switches that use the same two pins. See Testing Duplicate Switches for more information. Fail Keypad if more than one switch is active at a time This item should remain checked unless you have specific problems testing a keypad. If this item is unchecked, some shorts caused by switch presses may not be reported. Enable Automation The Mistral can accept input from external sources and provide feedback using a digital I/O card installed in the computer. If this box is checked, the Mistral will attempt to use Automation when testing. To find out more see Automation. Pass/Fail Options This tab contains options for what happens after a Keypad has been passed or failed. Pass Message A window will pop up displaying this message every time the operator passes a Keypad during testing. If you leave this blank, the window will not be shown. Show Pass Message for X seconds before window can be closed If there is a message in the Pass Message field, this number sets the time in seconds that the operator must wait before the message window can be closed. If this is set to 0, the Pass Message will still be shown but the operator can close the window immediately. Fail Message This message will be displayed in the Fail Comments window every time a Keypad is failed during testing. Show Fail Message for X seconds before window can be closed If there is a message in the Fail Message field, this number sets the time in seconds that the operator must wait before the Fail Comments window can be closed. If this is set to 0, the Fail Message will still be shown but the operator can close the window immediately. Fail Keypad Password If this field is not blank, the password it contains must be entered in order to continue testing when a part fails. Use this feature if, for example, the operator must notify quality assurance personnel (who know the password) when a keypad fails. Switch Bounce This tab contains the switch bounce test setup. Number of switch presses per test This is the number of additional times a key must be pressed for the bounce test. Max bounce time, switch down and switch up These numbers are the maximum bounce times allowed when pressing and releasing a switch. If any bounce time measured during the switch bounce test exceeds these times, the switch is failed. Bounce Thresholds The Bounce Thresholds section lets you choose from standard voltage thresholds or set custom thresholds between 0 and 5 Volts. See Switch Bounce Measurement for more information on bounce testing. Defaults This tab contains the default properties for switches, permanent connections and LED's. These values are used when an item is created manually or automatically while learning. Switch Resistance These are default values for newly created switches. The switch's resistance characteristics can be defined and viewed as either as a minimum and maximum allowable resistance or as a nominal resistance and a tolerance. The two definition methods will always be equivalent. For example, changing Max Res. will cause Nominal Res. and Tolerance to change. Important: Changing these values will change the corresponding property for any switch item already in the Keypad File if that property was set to the old default value. Max Res. This is the default maximum resistance for each switch created. If the measured switch resistance is greater than this value, the switch will be considered bad. Min Res. This is the default minimum resistance for each switch created. If the measured switch resistance is less than this value, the switch will be considered bad. Nominal Res. This is the default ideal resistance for each switch created. If the measured switch resistance differs from this value by more than the stated tolerance the switch is considered bad. Tolerance This is the default resistance tolerance for each switch created. If the measured switch resistance differs from the nominal resistance by more than this tolerance the switch is considered bad. Display In Item Properties The resistance properties of a switch can be viewed as either Max/Min Res or Nominal Res/Tolerance in the item properties. Click on the radio buttons on either side of this label to select the default method of viewing a switch's resistance properties. Permanent Connection Resistance These are default values for newly created permanent connections. The permanent connection's resistance characteristics can be defined and viewed as either as a minimum and maximum allowable resistance or as a nominal resistance and a tolerance. The two definition methods will always be equivalent. For example, changing Max Res. will cause Nominal Res. and Tolerance to change. Important: Changing these values will change the corresponding property for any permanent connection item already in the Keypad File if that property was set to the old default value. Max Res. This is the default maximum resistance for each permanent connection created. If the measured permanent connection resistance is greater than this value, the permanent connection will be considered bad. Min Res. This is the default minimum resistance for each permanent connection created. If the measured permanent connection resistance is less than this value, the permanent connection will be considered bad. Nominal Res. This is the default ideal resistance for each permanent connection created. If the measured permanent connection resistance differs from this value by more than the stated tolerance the permanent connection is considered bad. Tolerance This is the default resistance tolerance for each permanent connection created. If the measured permanent connection resistance differs from the nominal resistance by more than this tolerance the permanent connection is considered bad. Display In Item Properties The resistance properties of a permanent connection can be viewed as either Max/Min Res or Nominal Res/Tolerance in the item properties. Click on the radio buttons on either side of this label to select the default method of viewing a permanent connection's resistance properties. LED These are default values for newly created LED's and series LED's. Important: Changing these values will change the values for LED's already in the Keypad File if they are set to the old default value. Illumination Current This is the default current used to illuminate the LED or series LED for visual inspection. Forward Voltage Test Current This is the default value for the amount of current applied to the LED to measure the forward voltage. Forward Voltage Min This is the default value for minimum forward voltage allowed across the LED when the Test Current (see above) is applied. If the forward voltage measured is less than this value the LED is considered bad. You should leave this value at "1.0" unless your requirements call for a specific forward voltage for the LED's. Forward Voltage Max This is the default value for the maximum forward voltage allowed across the LED when the Test Current (see above) is applied. If the forward voltage measured is greater than the maximum the LED is considered bad. For series LED's the maximum forward voltage is not used. You should leave the value at "4.2" unless your requirements call for a specific forward voltage for the LED's. Reverse Leakage Current Test Voltage This is the default for the reverse voltage applied to the LED to test leakage current. Reverse Leakage Current Max This is the default value for the maximum amount of reverse leakage an LED can exhibit when the Test Voltage (see above) is applied. If the current exceeds this value, the LED is considered bad. Apply Values To All Keypad Items If this box is checked, all items that use default values when they are created will be reset to the default value when "Save" is clicked.

Item Properties

Each item in the Keypad File (switch, LED, series LED, permanent connection or isolation point) has properties associated with it. When a new item is added, either by using the tools or while learning, the initial values for the items are take from the default values entered in the Edit Info window.

To view and edit an item's properties, choose the Select/Move tool and click on the item. The properties will be displayed in the properties box in the lower left corner of the program window and can be editing by clicking in the appropriate field.

Each item has a Label and From and To Pins (except isolation points which only have one Pin). An item is not considered ready until all of its pins have been set, either by entering them in the properties box or automatically while learning. Items are displayed in color codes which indicate if they are completely defined.

In addition to the Label and the pin numbers all items except isolation points have additional properties as described below.

Switches and Permanent Connections Switches and permanent connections both have a resistance that can be specified as a Max Res and Min Res or Nominal Res and Tolerance. When testing, the resistance between the From and To pins must be within the specified range for the item to pass. To change how a switch or permanent connection's resistance properties are viewed, click on the down arrow button in the properties box. You can then choose to view the maximum and minimum resistances or the nominal resistance and tolerance. Switch with the resistance specified as maximum and minimum Permanent connection with the resistance specified as resistance and tolerance See Setting Switch And Permanent Connection Resistance for more information on how to set resistance values to meet your requirements. LED's and Series LED's To begin, you can set the color of the LED by clicking on the ligh tbulb icon in the properties window and then selecting the color from the pop up menu LED's have an illumination current used to light the LED for visual inspection. Next LED's have properties for the forward voltage check. The Test Current (given in mA) is applied to the LED and the voltage must be between the Volt Min and Max. If the voltage is under the minimum or over the maximum, the LED is considered bad. For Series LED's there is no maximum forward voltage so the voltage will be considered good as long as it is greater than the minimum. The forward voltage properties should be left at their default values unless your requirements call for a specific forward voltage. Each LED also has several properties for measuring the reverse leakage current. The Test Voltage is applied to the LED in reverse and the LED is considered good as long as the leakage is less than the Max Rev. Current.

Generating A Keypad File Report

You can generate a report for a keypad file by selecting "Save Info Report As..." from the "File" menu while the file is open. This report contains all the information in the Edit Info window as well as the settings for each item in the file.

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