AES E-Library

Automatic Assembly-Line Testing of Cartridges

Several measurements are required to verify that the performance of every pickup cartridge assembled on a production line meets its published specifications. Automatic testing makes faster and more accurate measurements possible, and with stored program control, statistical distributions of performance parameters in a production series can be computed. In addition, hard copy of test results, to be enclosed with the cartridge, can be obtained. A minicomputer-based production test system for stereo and quadraphonic cartridges is described, where, by employing a specially designed test record as signal source, the following parameters characterizing a cartridge are measured and compared against specifications: output voltage, channel difference, tracking ability, frequency response, and channel separation. With a reference cartridge calibrated by the two-speed method, variations in test record frequency response are measured automatically, and accounted for in test results. The system incorporates a strip printer for printout of calibration data, and a level recorder to plot frequency response. The total time, including handling, is less than 1 minute for the complete test of a cartridge.

Author: Frandsen, Ernst
Affiliation: Bang & Olufsen a/s, Struer, Denmark
JAES Volume 26 Issue 11 pp. 856-862; November 1978 Import into BibTeX

Click to purchase paper or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!

This paper costs $20 for non-members, $5 for AES members and is free for E-Library subscribers.

Learn more about the AES E-Library

E-Library Location: (CD aes4)   /jrnl7888/1978/7612.pdf

Start a discussion about this paper!