ilumtech - electronic design services

Book of services

HEAD OFFICEiLumTechOMS, spol. s r. o.906 02 Dojč 419 SlovakiaTel.: +421(0)34/694 0847e-mail: [email protected]

Book of services

HARDWARE DESIGN

LONG-TERM TESTS

ELECTRONICDESIGN REVIEWSOFTWARE DESIGNFIRMWARE DESIGN

DALI COMPATIBILITYTESTS

RAPID PROTOTYPINGLABWARE DESIGN

Electronic solutions & services

Analysis of customer requirementsKey component selectionSchematic designPCB designPrototypeDocumentation and validationFinal product

Functionality testFrequent switching testUnder-voltage testOver-voltage testEndurance test (IEC60598-1-12)Dimming test (DALI, 0–10 V, 1–10 V)Lifetime test

Consultancy and product optimisationFirmware solution analysisComplete firmware design for prototype deviceFull support and maintenance of firmware for serial production

Conformity reportquality analysis

Bare prototype PCBsAssembled PCBsFunctional prototypesEnclosed functional prototypes / engineering samples

Data acquisition systemsAutomatic measuring systemsInstrument control and device driver developmentData processing, mathematical analysis and storageMachine control and visionComplete turnkey solutions (fully automated customer defined measurement and process units)

Customised solution

ELECTRICAL SAFETY TESTS FUNCTIONAL TESTS

High voltage test (dielectric voltage withstand test)Insulation resistance testEarth bond testLeakage current test Functionality test

Electronic solutions & servicesMany well know concepts and technologies have great hidden potential. In the

field of electronics, boundaries are being broken not only by new technologies but

also by the intelligent use of familiar ideas in new and extraordinarily innovative

ways. Nevertheless, we also believe that the success of an idea greatly depends on

the time it takes to reach the market. There is no room for a slow and expensive

trial and error approach during the transition of an idea into a working product,

and neither for semi-finished ‘engineering’ samples when competing with qualified

rivals. The iLumTech electronic design team can offer you a comprehensive range

of electronic design solutions and services along with our full and continued

support. Starting with advanced hardware design and the design of various types

of software, to the final combining of them together with a pinch of synergy

added in, we are able to provide the system level design of a vast array of

customer defined electronic products and solutions. All stages are checked and

verified during various in-house tests, which we can also offer as independent

services. Furthermore, we can assist you with our professional review of your

own designs at any stage of their development. Our personal approach and high

level of expertise throughout the whole process of transforming your idea to a

professionally formed functional prototype, or any derivative of it, ensures you

and your product will be first on the market.

Long-term tests DALI compatibility tests

Electronic design review Rapid prototyping

Electrical safety tests Functional tests

Hardware design Software design Labware designFirmware design

The field of electronics is moving forward so rapidly that it is almost impossible to keep up, but we will help you do just that.

I 109 108 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Hardware design

Since hardware is the basis of each electronic device, creating a functional part of its physical body, there is vital need for good hardware design. Only well-de-signed hardware will ensure the quality, reliability, and long-term stability of a so-lution. Our hardware design engineers are responsible for the complete development process from idea to final product, and are keen to develop tailored solutions utilising the Altium Designer development environ-ment, all within unbeatable timescales. We have extensive experience in both low-speed digital and analogue designs, and the routing of printed circuit boards (PCB) with multiple layers. We are especially ex-perienced in hardware designs tailored for the lighting industry.

The hardware design process is a complex combination of tasks, decisions, and rep-etitions. With this in mind we follow well–defined internal processes together with ISO9001 documentation so that we can provide a fast and almost flawless hard-ware design process.

And once the design is complete, we de-liver a final product made using the very best components thanks to our wide net-work of cooperating partners and suppli-ers. They periodically provide us with the latest news from semiconductor industry and with important notifications, e.g. EOL, based upon which we have available to us state-of-the-art components along with full supplier support. Furthermore, our fully equipped R&D laboratories allow us to minimise the time taken to manufacture a prototype.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design

Electronic design review

Rapid prototyping

Electrical safety tests

Functional tests

Long-term tests

DALI compatibility tests

Hardware design / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Hardware design

Outcomes:Analysis of customer requirements

Key component selectionSchematic design

PCB designPrototype

Documentation and validationFinal product

Only the best hardware can ensure the reliability and stability of a solution.





I 111 110 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Hardware design services

Analysis of customer requirements The identification and analysis of cus-tomer requests act as the primary input for the development process. Precise request definition from the customer is of vital importance both at the beginning and throughout the entire project.

Key component selection The overall cost and complexity of a device depends predominantly on key component selection. The ratio between those parts needed for the hardware, firmware and software of the product are put in place during this phase of develop-ment.

Schematic design The functional schematic of the solu-tion is based on the chosen key compo-nents, supporting blocks and the analysis of customer needs. This schematic defines the complexity as well as the final cost of the developed solution.

PCB design PCBs are designed based on the func-tional schematic, but consideration also needs to be given to the mechanical as-pects of the device. The design itself is strongly influenced by forecasted produc-tion quantities, based upon which the ap-propriate PCB manufacturing technologies will be chosen. Electrical safety require-ments also have an impact on the design rule check.

Prototype A prototype is an integral part of the development process as it is the first real substantiation of a customers’ vision. It also acts as the base for demonstration of functionality, corrections to functional-ity and price adjustment of the product. Depending on customer needs, several prototypes can be prepared during devel-opment.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Hardware design services / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Documentation and validation One of the primary outcomes of the development process is the technical doc-umentation of the product. This enables customers to run serial production as well as being a requirement for product certifi-cation.

Final product Finalisation of the development pro-cess is marked by the product entering serial production. This is based on the aforementioned technical documentation and requires that the product first receive appropriate certification.





Hardware design

I 113 112 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Firmware design

Programmable components are used in almost every electronic product found on today’s market. Even if only a trivial logic function is requested, a microcontroller unit (MCU) is usually chosen to be used instead of discrete components such as di-odes, transistors or operational amplifiers.

Firmware development requires close co-operation with the customer, especially when dealing with user interfaces, in order to design the device functions according to customer wishes. We have been deal-ing with firmware design for several years, and we have expertise mainly in ST Micro-electronics architecture (both 8 and 32 bit cores). However, if required, we are able to work with manufacturers such as Micro-chip, Atmel, NXP, or any other. We have tight partnership with all the big MCU players on the market and their vendors, which gives us direct access to the latest technology available.

Firmware design is closely connected with hardware design. Therefore, the two pro-cesses often start parallel to each other, which considerably shortens development time. The timeline that is required for pro-fessionally done and thoroughly tested firmware design depends on the complex-ity of the desired product. For instance, a simple switching function that depends on user input can be done in weeks, while the development of a network with tens of nodes communicating with each other will take months.

In order to optimise development time we have at our disposal a library of various ready-to-use solutions such as PWM control, analogue measure-ments, buck/boost regulation, commu-nication interfaces (UART, I2C, SPI, etc.), communication protocols (DC-PLC, USB, DALI, TCP/IP, DMX, etc.) and others. To achieve the creation of efficient and safe firmware we are using the standard MISRA C:2012 during the design process.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Firmware design / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Firmware design

Outcomes:Firmware solution analysis

Complete firmware design for prototype device

Full support and maintenance of firmware for serial production

The meeting place between hardware and user software.





I 115 114 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Firmware design services

Firmware solution analysisThe analysis of a firmware solution is a fundamental step in the final design. It results in the estimation of hardware re-quirements, MCU selection and a flow chart.

Customers are required to provide a list of features they expect the firmware to incorporate, based upon which the firm-ware designer will decide if it is suitable to use an MCU. If so, the designer will go on to provide an analysis of the solution including an estimated memory size and details of any peripheral units that may be needed, such as communication in-terfaces, pulse width modulators, timers, analogue measurements, etc., as well as the size of the required MCU (the number of pins). The next step is to select a suit-able MCU. At this point, the customer may request that a particular manufacturer be chosen. The final step is to prepare the firmware flow chart, which simply outlines the firmware solution, similar to the sche-matics of a hardware design.

Complete firmware design for prototype deviceOnce the firmware solution has been ana-lysed and all subsequent output prepared, the next phase is to design the firmware itself. This will result in a functional pro-totype that can be tested and all corre-sponding documentation.

Firmware design can be compared to PCB routing in hardware design. The firmware designer uses ready-to-use functional blocks or creates completely new ones and then defines the relationships be-tween the blocks. The outcome of this stage is functional firmware tested on a real prototype. Full documentation is now prepared, which includes source code, any necessary software tools and a compre-hensive description of the design.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Firmware design services / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Firmware designFull support and maintenance of firmware for serial productionThere is a world of difference between firmware designed for a prototype device and that needed for serial production. For production, it is necessary to also take into consideration the workflow needed for the programming of devices. We can either provide device programming within our own facilities or prepare for you a pro-gramming tool that you can use in your own production facilities.

It is common that, during the first months of use, some ‘bugs’ will appear, and you may also have ideas about how to improve the product. For this reason, we are also happy to correct and update firmware ac-cording to your needs and desires.





I 117 116 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Software design

Software is the most important part of an overall system design as this is the only part the customer really sees. There are hundreds of thousands of software programs on the market that can do almost anything you could desire, yet, these programs are so diversified and specified that it is near impossible to find one that does everything you need in one package, necessitating the creation of something precisely tailored to your needs.

Our software design engineers have extensive and wide-ranging experience in the design of all types of software. We are able to design software for any PC or portable device platform and can provide truly tailored solutions for any kind of control software in cooperation with our hardware and firmware designers. Our quality outputs are characterised by their usability, portability, maintainability, reliability and security.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Software design / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Software design

Outcomes:Customised solution

If hardware is the heart of an electronic system, software is its soul.

Using smart programming approaches, we are able to develop qualitative software solutions within very short timeframes. Furthermore, we use proven design patterns to ensure best practice and rapid development. Alongside this, we use the Unified Modelling Language (UML) to allow us to combine techniques from data, object and component modelling. We also use refactoring to make future modifications updates easier and faster to implement.





I 119 118 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Software design services

Customised solution Software brings added value to a prod-uct when it precisely meets customer needs, and can, if appropriate, be con-trolled and set-up remotely. Its effective de-sign and operation will minimise hardware requirements and maximise performance.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Software design services / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Software design





I 121 120 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Labware design

Labware is a specific kind of software that automates operations in laboratories or in industry applications, controls ma-chines and measuring instruments, and acquires data and process it. Our solutions are based on the LabVIEW development environment, which enables short devel-opment cycles, user-friendly GUI design and a large number of libraries for data acquisition, data processing, data genera-tion, mathematics, statistics, etc.

LabVIEW (Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench) is a development environment for a visual programming language from National Instruments. It is widely used for instrument control, data acquisition or industry automation. An-other advantage is that all hardware pro-vided by National Instruments is support-ed by LabVIEW and using this hardware, the development cycle is even shorter.

LabVIEW-based applications are very use-ful in data acquisition, where data acqui-sition systems can be controlled via PC or can run as stand-alone applications.

A large number of various measurement devices from different manufacturers can be integrated into the data acquisi-tion system very effectively, making data processing a particular strongpoint of La-bVIEW. A large set of functions for data processing and mathematical analyses enables fast implementation of the appli-cation. After acquisition and processing, data can be easily exported to reports. A very interesting option is connectivity with databases.

To control fast processes, FPGA-based devices from National Instruments can be programmed by LabVIEW with outstand-ing performance. For industrial automa-tion, LabVIEW offers machine control and machine vision. Another noteworthy possibility is the development of LabVIEW device drivers. With all these features, we are offering complete turnkey solutions for fully automated customer defined meas-urement and process units.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Labware design / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Labware design

Outcomes:Data acquisition systems

Automatic measuring systemsInstrument control and device driver

developmentData processing, mathematical

analysis and storageMachine control and vision

Complete turnkey solutions (fully automated customer defined measurement and process units)

Complex electronic solutions for complex environments.





I 123 122 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Labware design services

Data acquisition systems Data acquisition systems are responsi-ble for measuring and sampling electrical or physical quantities and their consecutive processing. A complete data acquisition system is composed of sensors, measure-ment hardware and a computer with pro-grammable software. Such a solution is powerful, flexible and cost effective. Automatic measuring systems Automatic measuring systems are use-ful when large numbers of electrical or physical quantities need to measured, ne-cessitating the use of many different data acquisition devices. It is possible to syn-chronise the functions of all devices using a programming environment. The basic steps involved in this synchronisation are the set-ting of hardware parameters, acquisition of data, evaluation of that data and the crea-tion of a measurement report.

Instrument control and device driver development Device drivers act as the software inter-face with the hardware device and should contain all the functions implemented within the device. The main purpose of the driver is to create a higher-level application without requiring that users have detailed knowledge of the device hardware.

Data processing, mathematical analy-sis and storage Data acquisition is the term used for the process of manipulating data in various ways in order to obtain meaningful results. These manipulations include mathematical calculations, signal processing and report generation.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Labware design services / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Labware designMachine control and vision Machine vision is a technology used for automated inspection of and within indus-trial processes to achieve higher product quality. Other uses include the control of production processes and industrial robots. Machine control and vision ensures high industrial process throughput and reduced production costs. Complete turnkey solutions (fully au-tomated customer defined measure-ment and process units) Complete turnkey solutions can be re-alised in one project. The project includes the hardware, firmware programming of the designed hardware, development of a device driver to act as the interface be-tween the hardware and higher-level ap-plication and development of the control application.





I 125 124 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Electronic design review

Electronic design is not always a sim-ple task. The performance of an electri-cal device is influenced by many factors such as the selection of components, their combination and placement on the PCB, routing on the PCB, interference from the environment, ambient temperature, and many other factors. There are some basic principles that you can learn but the real master of electronic design firstly needs to be experience. Problems connected with electronic design are likely to repeat; therefore, you do not have to ‘reinvent the wheel’ because we can solve the problem with you and save your time.

Our team consists of highly-experienced hardware design engineers who are avail-able to help customers build high-perfor-mance and reliable systems. We can help you to create custom designs based on ex-perience and knowledge. Such support in-cludes the provision of reference designs, detailed device and system design rules, design reviews and general advice.

Integration support is aimed to provide customers with direct access to our en-gineers who can provide immediate as-sistance during the integration phase of a product. Typical problems faced are configuration, connection, system per-formance and general system behaviour issues, although we are here to help with any problems that may arise.

Thanks to our well equipped, ESD protect-ed laboratory we are able to quickly test and diagnose the source of a problem. Our long-term partnership with compo-nent manufacturers allows us to consult your difficulties directly with their applica-tion engineers, thus rapidly shortening the time needed to find a solution.

Our engineers have a great amount of practical and real world experience that they are open to share with customers. We can also provide support via an email hotline, the phone or face-to-face consul-tation.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Electronic design review / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services


Outcomes:Consultancy and product

optimisation

Thorough analysis guarantees that your electronic device will have no ‘bugs’.





I 127 126 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Electronic design review services

Consultancy and product optimisation Inspection of electronic designs during the development process can uncover po-tential weak points and risk areas, which should be treated carefully by a responsi-ble and experienced developer. During the electronic design review, we provide the results of our extensive knowledge and expertise. This will considerably shorten the development process as well as help designers avoid problematic or clumsy so-lutions. Based on the advice we offer dur-ing consultation, the development of elec-tronic devices will proceed in an optimal way thanks to the use of already proven and tested design blocks.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Electronic design review services / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services






I 129 128 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Rapid prototyping

Prototyping is an integral part of the system level design process. Custom-ers can take advantage of our in-house rapid prototyping services to verify the functionality of their projects. Functional prototypes help to identify problems dur-ing early design stages and thus minimise risks, development costs and accelerate development cycles.

We manufacture, assemble and test pro-totype PCBs and 3D printed or machined mechanical parts such as enclosures ac-cording to your input. All within very short timescales. Our ESD protected, well equipped laboratory is ready for assem-bling and testing.

A comprehensively produced rapid proto-type of any electronic device provides you, the customer, with a strong competitive advantage.

The following workflow shows the rapid prototyping of a functional sample of an ambient light sensor based on previoisly prepared data. The overall time taken to produce the prototype is an amazing one working day.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Rapid prototyping / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Rapid prototyping

Outcomes:Bare prototype PCBs

Assembled PCBsFunctional prototypes

Enclosed functional prototypes / engineering samples

We can provide a prototype of anything from a PCB to a full control system within

a remarkably short timeframe.PCB DESIGN Micro machining (2 hours)

Bare PCB

Ultrasonic cleaning (1 hour) Clean bare PCB Solder paste dispensing

(30 mins)

Components placing (1 hour)

Infrared soldering (30 mins)

3D printing (3 hours)

3D printed and micromachined parts Assembled PCB FUNCTIONAL PROTOTYPE

WITHIN 8 HOURS





I 131 130 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Rapid prototyping services

Bare prototype PCBs We manufacture prototype PCBs us-ing a TECHNODRILL 2 CNC drilling and milling machine or conventional chemical processing. Whichever method suits cus-tomer needs best, the prototype will be provided within an unbeatable timescale.

Assembled PCBs We assemble both surface-mount de-vices (SMD) and through-hole devices. Reflow is carried out in a computer con-trolled infrared reflow oven. Functional prototypes Functional prototypes are required as the base for performance of a wide array of laboratory tests, a crucial part of the overall development process.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Rapid prototyping services / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Rapid prototyping





Enclosed functional prototypes / engineering samples If desired, functional and tested pro-totypes can be provided in standardised or customised boxes. If a customised box is required, we will also manufacture this prototype from aluminium or 3D printed plastic.

I 133 132 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Electrical safety tests

Electrical safety testing is essential to ensure safe operating standards for any product that uses electricity. Various gov-ernments and agencies have developed stringent requirements for electrical prod-ucts that are sold worldwide.

In most markets, it is mandatory for a product to conform to the safety stand-ards of agencies such as UL, CE, VDE, CSA, BSI, and CCC. To conform to such standards, the product must pass various safety tests, all of which are described in IEC 60335, IEC 61010, and many other na-tional and international standards.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Electrical safety tests / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services


Outcomes:High voltage test (dielectric voltage

withstand test)Insulation resistance test

Earth bond testLeakage current test

Functionality test

In general, IEC 60335 is the most widely applied standard for electrical safety test-ing, especially for domestic appliances. Many safety testing standards in the world have been based on it.

A basic need for every electronic device, we can help you ensure the

safety of your products.





I 135 134 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Electrical safety test services

High voltage test (dielectric voltage withstand test) A dielectric withstand test is an elec-trical test performed on a component or product to determine the effectiveness of its insulation. The test may be between mutually insulated sections of a part or energised parts and electrical ground. The test is a means to qualify a device’s abil-ity to operate safely during rated electrical conditions. Insulation resistance test The insulation resistance (IR) test is a spot insulation test which uses an ap-plied DC voltage to measure insulation resistance in either kΩ, MΩ or GΩ. The measured resistance is intended to in-dicate the condition of the insulation or dielectric between two conductive parts, where the higher the resistance, the bet-ter the condition of the insulation. Ideally, the insulation resistance would be infinite, but as no insulators are perfect, leakage currents through the dielectric will ensure that a finite (though high) resistance value is measured.

Functionality test This test is performed by checking functionality of the electronic device un-der well defined standard operating condi-tions.

Earth bond test This test is performed by measuring the resistance between the third pin (ground) and outside metal body of the product un-der test. The maximum acceptable value is generally 0.5 Ω. This test is usually car-ried out at a slightly higher current (e.g. 25–60 A) so that the ground bond circuit maintains safe voltages on the chassis of the product, even at a high current, before the circuit breaker. This test is essential so that the product does not cause an elec-tric shock resulting from insulation failure. Leakage current Leakage current is the current that flows through the protective ground conductor to ground. In the absence of a grounding connection, it is the current that could flow from any conductive part or the surface of non-conductive parts to ground if a conductive path was available (such as a human body). There are always incidental currents flowing in the safety ground conductor.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design


Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Electrical safety test services / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services






I 137 136 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Functional tests

Each electronic device needs to pass through a testing stage in order to verify its functionality and to characterise its properties. Testing procedures are usu-ally performed several times during device development as they provide the designer with feedback essential for correct elec-tronic design.

During the functional tests we first test the device using the recommended condi-tions – temperature, input voltage, input signals. All the parameters necessary for the proper functioning of the device are measured. After passing this basic set of measurements, we can test the behaviour of the device when working at the internal edges of recommended conditions.

To reach fast and repeatable measure-ments we have developed an automatic testing instrument, originally designed for the characterisation of power supplies, but reconfigurable for the measuring of any kind of electronic device. This instru-ment is composed of a switching power supply, electronic load and four-channel digital oscilloscope. All these instruments are controlled and automated by a soft-ware application made in the LabVIEW development environment.

Measurement of input voltage ranges is an example of the kind of test that can be performed using this equipment. Another test measures the output voltage range, the advantage of which is that an input voltage can be set at an arbitrary value. Also, time dependent device properties can be tested. These properties are turn-on time, turn-off time, rise time, fall time, voltage ripple, and current ripple. Another useful option is the ability to measure in-rush current.

All measured parameters are processed by software and exported to reports. Graphs and tables can be exported to OriginLab or MS Excel, and all results are then ex-ported to a Word document and can be saved also as a PDF. The overview clearly shows the versatility of this automatic measurement system.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design

Electronic analysis

Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Functional tests / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Functional tests

Outcomes:quality analysis

Every electronic device must pass functionality and characterisation tests

to ensure it meets needs.





I 139 138 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Functional test services

Quality analysis Electronic device functional tests are very useful when functional device char-acterisation is needed. quality analysis can be performed on a large number of pro-duced devices where failure rates can be determined using statistical methods. An-other possibility is the determining of de-vice reliability under abnormal conditions such as under-voltage, over-voltage and overheating. Also, useful are lifetime tests where the device is commonly exposed to relatively high temperatures and humidity to accelerate aging.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design

Electronic analysis

Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Functional test services / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Functional tests





I 141 140 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Long-term tests

The use of Solid State Lighting (SSL) technology continues to grow rapidly, and LED-based luminaires bring new challeng-es in testing and characterisation. Modern SSL luminaries offer additional capabilities in the control of light properties in com-parison with conventional light sources. Therefore, the complexity of electronic design is much higher, thus the demands on testing also.

Our automatic long-term testing system was developed to test LED based lumi-naires. Our system was developed to measure in four measuring nodes, each with six channels (luminaries), which al-lows up to 24 luminaries to be measured simultaneously. Luminaries are powered from a regulated linear power source and measuring devices measure light output, electrical parameters such as input cur-rent, voltage, apparent power, active power, reactive power and power factor. Up to 10 thermocouples per channel are available to measure temperature on dif-ferent parts of the luminaire. This large number of thermocouples fulfils also the highest requirements of the largest luminaries. Safety is also taken into con-sideration, with each luminaire powered through a circuit breaker with a tempera-ture safety relay which turns the fixture off if overheated. This prevents serious dam-age to the luminaire as well as the fully-automated laboratory.

At first, the system provides a basic functionality test followed by a frequest switching test. This system also enables the performance of endurance tests ac-cording to the EC 60598-1-12 standard.

SSL luminaires often include dimming capability. The most frequently used pro-tocols, DALI, 0–10 V and 1–10 V, can be tested both in exponential, as well as lin-ear operation.

Another very important parameter, espe-cially for SSL luminaires, is lifetime. This can be tested using the same principles as the functionality test, but over an ex-tended period of time, for example, sev-eral thousand hours.

All measurements are performed in a room with a stabilised temperature of +25 °C, varying not more than ±1 °C.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design

Electronic analysis

Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Long-term tests / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Long-term tests

Outcomes:Functionality test

Frequent switching testUnder-voltage test

Over-voltage testEndurance test (IEC60598-1-12)

Dimming test (DALI, 0–10 V, 1–10 V)Lifetime test

A new era in lighitng technology necessitates a new era in testing.





I 143 142 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / Long-tetm test services

Functionality test This basic functionality test determines if the device functions properly over a pe-riod of a few days under normal operating conditions. If the device fails this test, no further tests will be performed and the de-sign must be reconsidered. Frequent switching test This test determined the effects of fre-quent switching on and off of the power supply on the device under normal operat-ing conditions. If the device turns on each time it passes the test. Under-voltage test Here, the device is tested under abnor-mal operating conditions. In this case, it is supplied with a lower than nominal supply voltage. The device passes the test when able to operate under these conditions for a defined period of time. Over-voltage test Again, the device is tested under ab-normal conditions. In this case, it is sup-plied with an above nominal supply volt-age. The device passes the test if it can function under these conditions for a de-fined period of time.

Endurance test (IEC60598-1-12) In this test, the device is supplied with s voltage 1.1 times higher than the nominal supply voltage. The test comprises ten cy-cles of 21 hours of operation and 3 hours of no operation. If the device still functions after this, it passes the test. Dimming test (DALI, 0–10 V, 1–10 V) It is important to understand the re-sponse of the device under test to various dimming protocols. Lifetime test The determination of a device’s lifetime is paramount to its incorporation into a product or system. This test operates the device under normal conditions for an extended period of time to induce and measure the degradation of electrical and optical parameters, which are measured.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design

Electronic analysis

Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


Long-term test services / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services

Long-term tests





I 145 144 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / DALI compatibility tests

DALI stands for Digital Addressable Lighting Interface, based on an inter-nationally recognised IEC standard for the intelligent and easy management of lighting equipment. The standard incor-porates several parts that provide control and monitoring functionality for ballasts, Emergency Gear and LED drivers; expand-ing to lighting controls in the near future. Its digital simplicity and flexibility enables customers to create solutions that are easy-to-use, robust, interoperable and above all affordable. DALI has proven its reliability for many years, and will continue to develop and support the growing de-mands for professional lighting.

iLumTech has been a regular member of DALI since 2012 and actively participated in each DALI group meeting since the group’s establishment. This gives us the opportunity to influence the DALI stand-ard itself and also certification conditions for new products.

In 2014, a new logo and licensing process will be agreed to define the conditions for proper usage of the DALI logo. Each new product must pass testing by an official DALI tester. In September 2013, we pur-chased a DALI tester, enabling us to per-form DALI testing in-house. The basic DALI tester configuration can be extended for further testing, meaning we can provide even stricter testing than that required by the standards. We intend to become an official DALI testing house to simplify and shorten the DALI certification process for our customers. Furthermore, as an active member of the DALI WG, we have direct access to the newest version of test se-quences and standards, thus ensuring the most up-to-date testing conditions.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design

Electronic analysis

Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


DALI compatibility tests / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services


Outcomes:Conformity report

Our ability to offer DALI compatibility tests makes product development even easier.





I 147 146 I Product development & engineering services / Electronic design / DALI compatibility test services

Conformity reportThe results of testing, if positive, can be sent directly to DALI WG for the certifica-tion process in order to obtain the DALI logo for the product.

Hardware design

Firmware design

Software design

Labware design

Electronic analysis

Rapid prototyping


Functional tests

Long-term tests


DALI compatibility test services / Electronic design / Product development & engineering services






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