Top quality is the DIT-MCO standard. But there’s always room for improvement.

“You want to take advantage of opportunities to make improvements – not ‘change for change sake,’ but real improvements that build more value into our products, and respond to customer needs,” says DIT-MCO President Rick Thompson.

DIT-MCO’s Engineering Department is putting the finishing touches on three new system upgrades:

• Standard Measurement Unit (SMU)
• Control Measurement Unit (CMU) for FACT Systems
• Series 17 switching replacement for WQB switching

Standard Measurement Unit (SMU)

DIT-MCO engineers have set their sights on a new standard. This spring they will release a new Standard Measurement Unit (SMU) that will measure capacitance with greater accuracy and lower ranges – a bonus for customers who use Fault Locator to help troubleshoot errors.

“Capacitance measurement is built into the new SMU, so customers won’t incur the additional expense of a separate instrument,” says Hal King, Engineering Assistant Manager. “The CCS, or Capacitance Comparator Subsystem, locates faults based on capacitance,” he adds. Software upgrades also enhance the user interface to Fault Locator.

In addition, the precision capacitance also facilitates testing of shields and twisted pairs in harnesses.

“The new SMU is a direct replacement for the SBC, our Single Board Comparator,” says King. With its plug compatibility, the new SMU will become the new standard for DIT-MCO systems, including Models 2115, 2500, and the 2500.MBA (Multi-Bus Analyzer).

Another new SMU feature is scheduled to roll out later this year, says King. Test facilities that verify relay timing functions will benefit from additional expanded SMU capabilities that allow them to test relay pick-and-drop times. The new functionality will get down to relays in the five-millisecond range.

“Testing relay pick-and-drop times is very specialized and it’s often performed manually,” says King. “Our new SMU provides a cost-effective means to automate this testing.”

“In redesigning the measurement unit, DIT-MCO Engineering wanted to eliminate obsolete parts in the SBC that have been costly to use in new equipment or replace in existing machines, assuming they were even available,” says King. “With the new SMU, we have a measurement unit that improves functionality and reduces the price tag on maintenance.”

The new SMU measures up, providing increased functionality and continuing service over the system’s life cycle in a cost-effective package.

A New Solution for WQB Switching Modules

Customers who want to expand or replace the switching in their Series 9500 analyzers, which utilize older WQB relays, can now upgrade to Series 17 switching modules.

While WQB switching is packaged in 500-point modules, the new switching module houses 1,000 termination points in a lighter-weight module that slides into the same space occupied by two WQB modules.

WQB switching is known for its ruggedness and durability. For example, a customer whose Series 12B or 15A WQB switching is still running strong can consider new possibilities for expansion with upgraded switching. “For a customer who has space for additional switching in their current cabinetry, they can easily plug in Series 17 switching to run alongside their existing WQB switching, thus expanding their point count capabilities with the newer relay design,” says Ralph Olson, DIT-MCO’s Manager of Engineering Services.

With its hand-wired relays, Olson noted that the old WQB switching modules were becoming increasingly expensive to manufacture and maintain. “If a relay needed repair, the customer had to send the entire module to DIT-MCO,” he said. But with the 100-point cards in the Series 17 modules, they can just replace the relay card with another standard card. “That means less down time.”

The Series 17 switching modules, which come with DIT-MCO’s standard dual-50 connector, is built for full compatibility with a customer’s interface cables. And the modules are 100% plug-compatible with the old modules.

Eliminate Downtime – Maximize Investment

It’s not enough to provide customers with quality testing systems. DIT-MCO continues to make updates available so customers can have state-of-the-art equipment by incorporating technological enhancements into their existing testing systems. This translates into maximized investments and reduced downtime for DIT-MCO customers. Once again, DIT-MCO proves its commitment to each customer and each product.