Card Helps Characterize System Power For cPCI Backplanes

To characterize, validate and analyze system power and thermal loads on cPCI backplanes without exposing an actual board to possible damage, cPCI (compact personal computer interface) Slot Load Board allows measurement of the backplane's voltages and the drop from the supply to the backplane to determine if sufficient copper exists in the path. This procedure also verifies that all connections, including crimps and terminals, are good or not. For thermal analysis, thermocouples can be placed on the load board to measure air temperature as the air passes through the slot. Sensor leads pass through the front panel to allow easy access for measuring and recording temperatures at each slot. Boards are available in 3.3V or 5V models in 3U or 6U formats.