HEKA Elektronik EPC 10 USB, Hardware Manual, Page: 31 / 81

4.2 Making a Full Test 25
4.2 Making a Full Test
If you ever encounter any hardware problems that can not be solved by simply re-calibrating the amplifier (see
chapter 3.7 on page 14) you can run the Full Test in
Patchmaster
. This feature is a diagnostic tool that allows
us at HEKA Elektronik to make some conclusions about possible defects of the amplifier. Otherwise, this function
and its output should only be of little interest for you.
Note: The Full Test sometimes reports errors although the amplifier is absolutely fine. This may have
multiple reasons. First, we opted to have stringent test specifications such that possible problems are
not missed. Second, errors may be caused by procedural errors, or even because of defective BNC cables.
If you get the message that your hardware might be ”not ok”, please contact HEKA first and supply us
the report before sending the amplifier in. You might save yourself valuable time and money!
Before starting the
Full Test
you should make sure to have nearby a shield for the probe (you can use the metallic
cap that came with your amplifier and put it on the BNC connector at the probe to shield it), a 10 M Ω resistor
(e.g., the model circuit) and 5 short BNC cables. In case you have an
EPC 10 USB
Double or Triple, select the
amplifier you want to test in the
EPC 10 USB
amplifier dialog: 1. Amplifier, 2. Amplifier or 3. Amplifier.
Now select the menu item
Full Test
from the
EPC 10 USB
menu. You will be told to remove everything from
the probe and shield its input. Please make sure that really nothing except the metallic cap is connected to the
probe and that especially the black pin jack is free. You should also make sure that no BNC cables are connected
to the main unit of the amplifier.
After a short while you will be prompted to connect 3-5 BNC cables, depending on the amplifier you are testing.
If the connection test fails, you will get an error message and the chance to repeat the test an additional time.
After the connection test you will have to remove all BNC cables and connect a 10
M Ω resistor to the probe input.
You can use the model circuit and switch it into the ”10 M” position. If the resistance is out of range (e.g. due to
a wrong position of the switch) you will see an error message and will be asked to repeat the resistor test. After
removing all BNC cables, you can proceed with the test. It will continue for a while and you will get a final message
reporting the status of the amplifier, the probe and the connections. If any one of these fails you will see an alert
similar to the following one and get the chance to print out the error protocol.
Important note: Please, remind: if you get a message like this, please, contact HEKA first and supply
us the error protocol before sending the amplifier in. You might save yourself valuable time, money and
effort!
http://www.heka.com