3M recently made its airline debut when its 3M Dynatel 900AST was published in the 777 Boeing Aircraft Maintenance Manual as a recommended TDR (Time Domain Reflectometer) for coaxial wire testing.
The internal wiring in an aircraft has to withstand age, vibration and moisture - especially in aircraft that work 12 or more hours daily in widely varying conditions. With the 3M Advanced Systems Tester 900AST, the ability to quickly and accurately analyse avionics wiring problems reduces down time and minimises the significant daily AOG (Aircraft On Ground) expense which most aircraft companies have to face.
The 900AST provides a comprehensive testing platform for Aviation Wiring Systems. It is a handheld, integrated test set designed specifically for locating faults (opens, shorts and intermittents) in the wiring of various transportation classes including that of most military, commercial and private aircraft.
With the 900AST tester, aviation mechanics can quickly locate faults and verify repairs on various conductor types utilising the Resistive Fault Location (RFL) and TDR functions. In addition, the 900AST tester supports a full range of individual tests, which identifies and categorises potential problems. A key benefit of the tester is the ability to display the distance to a fault in inches.
The rugged 3M Advanced Systems Tester 900AST is housed in a lightweight soft case, making it portable and easy to use. The unit is weather-resistant, durable and weighs only four pounds with test leads, batteries and soft case included. The protective soft case neatly stores the leads in a zippered pouch and includes a convenient hook from which to hang the unit during testing.
Designed for functionality, the 3M tester`s features include an infra-red communications port for uploading stored measurement results to a PC. A large, backlit, black and white LCD display, (2.6 x 2.6-inch, 192 x 192 pixel resolution), provides flexibility for a graphical user interface and a user-friendly, icon-based display of test results. If there is ever a question during operation, the tester has a built-in internal help menu to provide the necessary information to assist the user to get back on track.
The 3M Advanced Systems Tester 900AST measures AC and DC voltage, conductor and insulation resistance with foreign voltage compensation capability and capacity. It can also conduct soak test measurements - extended period resistance measurements that can expose moisture or corrosion-induced faults as well as a four-wire precision contact resistance measurement. This multifunctional test set can even simulate a load lamp and provide an interrupted ID tone for locating a particular wire. Coupled with its RFL and TDR functions, the 900AST tester is the total solution for avionics maintenance wiring problems.
The 900AST tester provides a wide selection of test functions to locate problems that saves time in the field.
3M is in the business of continually providing practical and ingenious solutions that ensure success and has earned a reputation for providing high quality products that simplify every day life. The 3M Advanced Systems Tester 900AST is just such another example.
Features and benefits
* Voltage - measures the level of DC or AC voltage
* Load test - measures the current flowing through a simulated internal load lamp
* Resistance - measures conductor and insulation resistance with foreign voltage compensation capability
* Soak test - an extended-period resistance measurement that can expose moisture or corrosion-induced faults; the soak is usually performed between a conductor and shield/airframe ground
* Contact resistance - a precision 4-wire resistance measurement for sub-ohm measurements
* Capacitance meter - measures the capacitance of a component or circuit
* ID tone - applies an adjustable, interrupted AC signal for wire locating
* Resistive Fault Location (RFL) - precisely locates the distance to a resistive fault
* Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR) - supports user-selectable pulse width, length setting, gain, velocity of propagation and noise filter
* Auto TDR - automatically analyses a conductor or circuit for faults
Toolbox functions:
* Self-calibration - maintains accuracy over time or with environmental change
* Stored results - permits viewing or uploading of stored test data
* Special resistance - measures the loop resistance and the resistance difference between two conductors in a pair
* Ohms to distance calculator
* Units - English and metric available
* Eliminates the need for a separate digital multi-meter
* Eliminates the need for a separate load lamp to identify powered circuits
* Eliminates the need for a separate digital multi-meter and the need to always deactivate power to measure resistance
* Exposes moisture and corrosion related faults
* Eliminates the need for a separate resistance bridge
* Eliminates the need for a separate capacitance bridge
* Eliminates the need for a separate tone source for signal tracing
* Eliminates the guesswork in sectionalising faults
* Displays a graphical representation of events on a circuit that can be used to identify faults and determine the distance to them in inches
* Minimises the requirement for manual trace analysis. Automatically positions cursor and classifies most significant fault. Recommends RFL if high resistance fault is present
* No metrology calibration required
* Records a history of test results for future comparison
* Detects imbalance between two conductors in a pair that can lead to noise problems
* Handy reference
* International applicability
Share
