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Reserve Your Seat TodayThe NetGuardian Test Box has been a trusted tool of DPS test technicians for quite some time. Every DPS product is rigorously tested before shipping, and the NetGuardian Test Box allows technicians to verify every discrete alarm input, control relay, and voltage-based analog alarm input on a NetGuardian 832A.
Now, this time-tested tool is available to you as the NetGuardian 3288 Test Fixture (known casually as the "NetGuardian Test Box"). With 32 discrete alarm toggles, 8 analog knobs, and 8 control relay LEDs, you can verify every alarm input and control output on your NetGuardians in a controlled way.
Diagnose Problems Right From the Field
If an alarm point fails, it's important to know if the problem lies with your NetGuardian, your site equipment, or your analog sensor. With the NetGuardian Test Box, you minimize windshield time driving to sites by diagnosing the problem while you're on-site.
Get Exact Control with Labeled Alarm Points
The labeled toggles and knobs on the NetGuardian Test Box are way easier than working with probes directly on the amphenol connectors. It's also a lot less hassle than counting down a 66 block. You only have two hands, so without a Test Box you can only set a point or two at one time. With a Test Box, you can easily set all of the alarms you want, and you won't have to hope that your hands don't move while you look at your results screen.
Avoid "No Problem Found" RMAs by Conducting Your Own Testing
If you don't perform adequate testing, you might return a NetGuardian to DPS when the problem is really with your sensors or wiring. With a Test Box, you can uncover the true cause easily and avoid wasting time and shipping costs.
Standard Application: Perform an Easy Alarm Audit
A standard use of the NetGuardian Test Box is to test the discrete and analog inputs of a NetGuardian before attaching your mission-critical devices to it. You can send test discrete alarms to each input simply by flipping one of the 32 toggles. You can also send voltages (0-5vdc) to each analog input by turning one of 8 knobs. If your master receives the appropriate alarm data from your NetGuardian, you will know that your network, serial, or dial-up connection is fully functional.
By testing your alarm inputs during setup, you can check for connectivity issues and verify that your RTU was installed and provisioned correctly.
Auditing Tip: The best alarm audits involve testing as close to the alarm source (or analog sensor) as possible. If you test while you're physically at the site and your monitoring is fully setup, you're testing your complete system. If a failure is going to happen at any point, you can identify and correct it.
Conduct Better Lab Testing
When you're evaluating a NetGuardian, there's no better way to get alarms in at lab units/demo centers. The Test Box is also great for regression testing new firmware releases.
The NetGuardian Test Box becomes even more valuable when you use it to test your derived control equations from the field. On site, you connect the Test Box to your NetGuardian. Using the alarm input toggles and knobs, you can create a condition that you expect to trigger a derived control (ex. Alarm point 5 AND Alarm point 16 AND Analog Input 3 at 4.2vdc). If the appropriate control relay LED lights on the test box, your derived control equation is functioning as you intended.
Testing your derived controls is important because many of them will rarely be triggered. For example, it's rare that your site power will fail at the same time your primary generator fails and your backup batteries run low. But if that scenario does happen, you really, really need to be sure that your NetGuardian will automatically activate the backup generator. The NetGuardian Test Box provides you with this high level of assurance.
