AUTOMATED HARNESS TESTING SYSTEM

Report submitted for completion of training

(Sensors Development Area)
Programme of Space Applications Centre
Submitted by
Niral Patel
(Registration No. RS00603)
B.Tech. (Electronics and Communication Engineering)

Under the guidance of

SMT. Minal Rohit

SRI. Sujay Kumar
Space Applications Centre, (ISRO) Ahmedabad

Institution
BIRLA VISHVAKARMA MAHAVIDYALAYA
ANAND – 388120
Gujarat

SRTD-RTCG-MISA
Space Applications Centre (ISRO)
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
27 December 2022 to 28 April 2023

Scientific Research and Training Division (SRTD)

Research, Outreach and Training Coordination Group (RTCG)
Management and Information Systems Area (MISA)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this opportunity to best of my acknowledgements to all the persons
who have directly or indirectly been involved with me in making my research feasible
and to run it up into a successful piece of work.

It is the product of many hands, and countless hours from many people. My thanks go
to all those who helped, whether through their comments, feedback, edits or
suggestions. I express a deep sense of gratitude to the Head of the Electronics and
Communication department, Dr. Bhargav Goradiya and Prof. Anish Vahora for
providing such a big opportunity to do internship at SAC, ISRO. Moreover, I would
like to thank my guide Smt. Minal Rohit, Sri. Sujay Kumar and team of SAC who
has helped me throughout my project work.

I would like to thank all the faculty members for their patience, understanding and
guidance that gave me strength and will power to work for developing a project and
preparing the report.

Last but not the least, I would also like to thank our friends and classmates, who have
co-operated during the preparation of my project and report, without them this research
has not been possible. Their ideas helped me a lot to improve my project work.

Niral Patel

(19EC423)
About Company:

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is the space agency of India. The
organisation is involved in science, engineering and technology to harvest the benefits
of outer space for India and the mankind. ISRO is a major constituent of the Department
of Space (DOS), Government of India. The department executes the Indian Space
Programme primarily through various Centres or units within ISRO.

The prime objective of ISRO/DOS is the development and application of space

technology for various national needs. To fulfil this objective, ISRO has established
major space systems for communication, television broadcasting and meteorological
services; resources monitoring and management; space-based navigation services.
ISRO has developed satellite launch vehicles, PSLV and GSLV, to place the satellites
in the required orbits.

Alongside its technological advancement, ISRO contributes to science and science

education in the country. Various dedicated research centres and autonomous
institutions for remote sensing, astronomy and astrophysics, atmospheric sciences and
space sciences in general function under the aegis of Department of Space. ISRO's own
Lunar and interplanetary missions along with other scientific projects encourage and
promote science education, apart from providing valuable data to the scientific
community which in turn enriches science.
Index

01]Abstract………………………………………………………………………….. 1

02] Introduction…………………………………………………………………….. 2

03] What is Wire Harness?......................................................................................... 3

04] Hardware Used………………………………………………………………… 4

05] Chapter One – The Learning Phase…………………………………………… 7

06] Chapter Two – The Implementation Phase…………………………………… 12

07] Working……………………………………………………………………… 17

07] Graphical User Interface…………………….................................................... 18

08] Chapter Three– The Scaling Up Phase……………………………………… 27

List of Figures

Sr no. Page no.

1 Cable Harness 4
2 Buffer harness 4
3 Interconnection harness 4
4 Raspberry pi 3b 6
5 16 channel mux/demux 7
6 Zigbee Module 8
7 Phase 1 hardware 11
8 Phase 2 hardware 18
9 Graphical User Interface 21
10 Zigbee XCTU dashboard 23
11 Proposed 3D model 35

List of Table

Sr no. Page no.

1 List of Components 5
2 Zigbee parameters 27

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Abstract

The design, development, and application of an “Development of Automated Space

Harness Testing System Using Raspberry Pi and Zigbee Protocol” with the
capability of testing diverse cable harness configurations (with connectors like 9 pins,
15 pins, 25 pins, etc.) are presented. The automated harness tester uses a combination
of hardware and software to perform the testing, including specialized connectors.

This system uses a conventional method that is source-destination methodology to

detect open- and short-circuits and incorrect pinning in a harness under test. In this way,
the harness testing system can test up to 50 different connectors types in a module, and
even more than that. We have also designed a 102-pin connector with loopback and
interconnection features.

The harness is tested using a Raspberry Pi, which also creates a report file with
information on damaged wires, wrong pin connections, and other issues. To investigate
the issue and make the necessary adjustments for the connections, the master end
receives this report file over the Zigbee protocol.

The benefits of using an automated harness testing system include increased efficiency,
improved accuracy, reduced time and reduced costs associated with manual testing.

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Introduction

An automated harness tester is a vital tool in the electronics industry for ensuring the
proper functioning and safety of electronic systems. The term "harness" refers to the
network of wires, cables, and connectors that transmit signals and power between
different components of an electronic system. Testing these harnesses is critical to
ensuring that the system operates as intended and does not pose a risk to the system and
the user.

Traditionally, harness testing has been a manual and time-consuming process that
involves visually inspecting each connection and performing a series of tests to verify
the electrical characteristics of the circuit. However, as electronic systems and their
harnesses have become more complex, the need for automated testing has become
increasingly apparent. An automated harness tester can significantly reduce the time
and cost associated with manual testing while also improving the accuracy and
reliability of the testing process.

This technology has become an essential component of quality control of cable

harnesses in the space organization, aircraft industry and overall electronics industry,
ensuring that devices meet the necessary safety and performance standards. This
technology can widely use and will be helpful for the society for long time.

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What is Wire Harness?

A wire harness, often referred to as a cable harness or wiring assembly, is a systematic

and integrated arrangement of cables within an insulated material. The purpose of the
assembly is to transmit signal or electrical power. Cables are bound together with straps,
cable ties, cable lacing, sleeves, electrical tape, conduit, or a combination thereof. The
wire harness simplifies the connection to larger components by integrating the wiring
into a single unit for “drop-in” installation.

Types of Harness

i. Buffer Connection: In this connection, the source and destination connectors

are same where all the pins are connected in one-to-one topology.

ii. Interconnection: In this connection, the source and destination connectors can
be different. Here the connections can be one-to-one or it can be one-to-many.

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Components Used

Hardware used
1 Raspberry Pi 3b
2 16 Channel mux/ demux(CD74HC4067)
3 Zigbee STM Module
4 Connector ( e.g 9 pin,15 pin, 25 pin)

Software used
1 Thonny
2 XCTU

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Hardware Used

 Raspberry Pi 3B:
 A Raspberry Pi 3 board has 40 pins on it. Among these pins, we have
four power pins on the Raspberry Pi, two of which are 5v pins and
another two are 3.3v pins.
 The GPIO pins, as indicated by their full form, can be programmed
to be output pins or input pins. So, we can set values of output pins
and we can even read values of input pins.

 Features:

o Quad-Core Broadcom BCM2837 64bit ARMv8 processor 1.2GHz

o 1GB RAM
o BCM43143 WiFi on board
o Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) on board
o Power source up to 2.5 Amps (can now power even more powerful devices
over USB ports)
o 40pin extended GPIO
Why Raspberry Pi 3b is used?
 The Raspberry Pi is an open source platform where one can get a lot of related
information so you can customize the system depending on the need.
 When wireless connectivity is needed. Raspberry Pi has wireless LAN and
Bluetooth facility by which you can setup WIFI hotspot for internet
connectivity.
 It was used for learning purpose and as it was readily available in our institute.

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 Raspberry Pi 3b
 CD74HC4067 Module:

 As Multiplexer:
 A multiplexer (also known as MUX) is an electronic device that selects one
of several input signals and forwards the selected input to a single output
line.
 In digital systems, they are often used to reduce the number of input/output
pins required to connect multiple devices to a microcontroller or
microprocessor.
 The signal pin of the MUX is initiated as INPUT to get the data or the
voltage driven by the controller.

Fig .1 16 channel Mux/Demux

 As Demultiplexer:
 A demultiplexer (also known as DEMUX) is an electronic device that takes
a single input signal and forwards it to one of several output lines based on
a control signal.
 In digital systems, it is also called as expander because it increases the
number of GPIO pins.
 The signal pin of the DEMUX is initiated as OUTPUT drive the voltage
among the channels.

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  Zigbee:
 Zigbee is for low-data rate, low-power applications and is an open standard.
This, theoretically, enables the mixing of implementations from different
manufacturers, but in practice, Zigbee products have been extended and
customized by vendors and, thus, plagued by interoperability issues.
 Zigbee is based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE) Standards Association's 802.15 specification. Zigbee is built for
control and sensor networks on the IEEE 802.15.4 wireless standard for
wireless personal area networks (WPANs). The Zigbee WPANs operate on
2.4 Ghz, 900 MHz and 868 MHz frequencies.

 Modes in Zigbee:
1. Transparent Mode:
When operating in transparent mode, an XBee module acts as a serial
line replacement. All data received through the serial input is
immediately transmitted over the air. When the XBee module receives
wireless data, it is sent out through the serial interface exactly at it is
received. In fact, communication in transparent mode yields the same
result as if the two modules were connected by a wire, but wireless
communication makes that physical wire unnecessary.
2. API Mode:
API mode provides a structured interface where data is communicated
through the serial interface in organized packets and in a determined
order. This enables you to establish complex communication between
devices without having to define your own protocol.
Since the data destination is included as part of the API frame structure,
you can use API mode to transmit messages to multiple devices.

Fig.2 ZigBee Module

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Chapter One – The Learning Phase

 What we have done?

 Started the research and study on the problem definition and came across
various methodologies.
 These were discussed with the guide and the source-destination
methodology was finalized.
 Firstly, learned micro python and implemented the initial circuit diagram
using Raspberry Pi Pico.
 Started to develop GUI.

 Hardware:
(basic prototype for testing purpose)
1. Raspberry Pi Pico:
 Pico is used for basic testing purpose, firstly we explored it
and learned micro python to program it.
 RP2040 is the micro controller, which controls signal flow
through GPIOs.
 12 GPIOs from Pico were used, where 8 GPIO were selection
line (4X2), and 4 GPIO were respective enables and signal
pins.
 The loopback feature was implemented on Pico.

2. Multiplexer and Demultiplexer:

 8 channel and 16 channel multiplexers and demultiplexers
were used according to the respective connectors.
 Signal pin was configured as INPUT in case of multiplexer
to scan pins and check connection establishment.
 In case of demultiplexers, signal pin was configured as
OUTPUT to supply 5v to every pin.

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  Circuit Diagram:

Fig.3 Schematic Diagram

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  Source-Destination Method:
i. The DEMUX is connected with the source connector. It passes high
voltage taken from Raspberry pi using signal pin through all 16 channels
which is driven by the selection line of DEMUX.
ii. Further this high voltage is passed through the applied harness from
source connector to destination connector.
iii. At the destination side, MUX is connected to the destination connector
where it will detect the high voltage at the channel with the help of signal
pin.
iv. Whenever the connection is establishing the channel number of the
MUX/DEMUX is noted to generate a report file.

 Actual Hardware:

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  Code:
 Micro Python (Thony IDE)

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  GUI:
 Tkinter is used to implement GUI.
 It is a standard Python library for creating graphical user
interfaces (GUIs). It provides a set of tools and widgets for
building desktop applications using Python programming
language.

 Knowledge gained on:

 Hands-on Raspberry Pi Pico.
 Micro Python Language.
 Tkinter Python Library.
 Draw schematic diagram.

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 Chapter Two – The Implementation Phase

 What we have done?

 In stage one, we developed our prototype with one connector using
Raspberry pi.
 Did a thorough research for the micro-controller or any developing board
having maximum GPIOs, Raspberry Pi 3B was finalized.
 Firstly, implemented the loopback feature with one connector, thereafter
implemented the interconnection feature between 15 pin and 25 pins
connector successfully.
 After developing the GUI, it was connected with the hardware to control it
by giving commands.

Start

Buffer/Interconnection

Source and destination

connection using
harness

Continuity Checked

Generation of Report

Comparison with
datasheet

Stop

Fig.4 Flow Chart

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  Hardware:

A. Raspberry Pi 3B:
 Raspberry Pi 3B is used for the implementation purpose.
 It provides sufficient GPIOs to develop a prototype.
 Number of connectors were increased to implement the loopback and
multiconnection features.
 The Raspberry Pi is used to control whole testing system at slave end.
 Zigbee module was interfaced with RPi to complete the transferring file
task at the master’s end.
 Final prototype with GUI was implemented on RPi 3B.

B. Multiplexer and Demultiplexer:

 In this stage, 3 connectors were implemented 9-pin connector, 15-pin
connector, and 25-pin connector.
 All the connector’s pins were connected to the channels of the required
multiplexer/demultiplexer modules.
 By controlling enable pin, specific module can be active at a time to be
used as either a mux or a demux.

C. Zigbee Module:
 XCTU software was used to configure the Zigbee module either as
receiver or as transmitter.
 It was used to transfer the output data from slave Pi to master computer.
 Using serial communication, the data was interpreted and displayed in a
tabular form.

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  Why Zigbee?
i. In contrast to Wi-Fi networks used to connect endpoints to high-
speed networks, Zigbee supports much lower data rates and uses a
mesh networking protocol to avoid hub devices and create a self-
healing architecture.
ii. The Zigbee protocol offers stable coverage than Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth.
iii. It consumes less energy and power.
iv. It requires low bandwidth

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  Schematic Diagram

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  Actual Hardware:

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 Block Diagram:

Raspberry Pi 3 B
Slave

Mux/Demux Mux/Demux Mux/Demux

9-Pin 15-Pin 25-Pin

Connector Connector Connector

Zigbee Zigbee
---------------------------------------------------
Tx Rx

PC
Master

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Working:

The module acts as a source and a destination. It will have number of connectors such
as 9-Pin, 15-Pin, 25-Pin etc. 16 channel mux/demux are used to connect each channel
with the respective pins of the connectors. In this project we have used 15 and 25-pin
connector (it is just for prototype purpose, further it will be scaled up according to the
requirements). One 16 channel module is assigned to 15-pin connector and two 16
channel modules are assigned to 25-pin connector.

Each Multiplexer has Enable and Signal pins which allows the module to act as either
a mux or a demux according to the requirements. The selection lines of the respective
multiplexer are common to reduce the GPIO pins. Connector can act as a source or a
destination which is configured with the help of GUI.

Taking 15-pin connector as source and configuring the signal pin as output. Hence the
module will work as demultiplexer. Signal pin will provide high voltage to each pin of
the connector that is connected with the respective channels of multiplexer. Similarly,
a 25-Pin connector is set as destination and is assigned two modules having both signal
pins configured as input Hence it will act as multiplexer.

The distribution of pins with their respective multiplexer is done in the following
manner, pin 1 to 15 is connected with a first 16 channels of the multiplexer and the
remaining pins are connected with the rest as 0 to 8 channels of another multiplexer.
When the harness will be connected, it will pass the voltage from 15-pin connector and
each pin of 25-pin connector will be scanned by enabling multiplexers turn by turn.

When the connection is found at a pin then it will display the ID of the established
connection in the form of “Source: Destination” and will store the output in a file as
report. Now this generated report will be then transferred to the master computer, to
analysis the report. Zigbee is used a transferring protocol.

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Graphical User Interface:

Step 1:

The user needs to register first and then authenticate himself in the login section.

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Step 2:

Once the user is authenticated various options are available to the user and for
continuity testing please select harness checkout

Step 3:

In the next step select USB based interface connector ports under Buffer cable testing.

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Step 4:

The result is pass on to a remote pc using Zigbee.

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Step 5:

The final result is store in the txt file.

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GUI Code:

 Main source code for integrating hardware and software and giving control to
the user to check the continuity of the harness automatically.

 Different function assign to control different connector which are been

connected to raspberry pi.
 Over here the first picture describe the function of 25 pin connector and the
second function is used to describe 15 pin connector.

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Configuring Zigbee:

i. Setting up parameters:

StopBits : One Parity : None

ByteSize : 8 Port : ‘COM5’

Baudrate : 9600 Timeout : 1

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 ii. Using XCTU Software we add a Radio device.

iii. Detection of Router (Slave).

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 iv. Connecting both router and coordinator in Transparent Mode.

v. Sending bitwise data after the connection has been established.

vi.

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vii. The final result is store in the txt file.

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 Chapter Three– The Scaling Up Phase

 Problem Statement:
i. Using splitting technique, connect all different types of connectors with
102-pin connector and test harness using loopback logic.
ii. Make 102-pin connector feasible so that another module can be used to
test it.
 What we have done?
 Firstly, the logic was developed to approach the given problem
statement.
 Designed a circuit diagram.
 Hardware Required:
1. ATMEGA 1281:
 The high-performance, low-power Microchip 8-bit AVR RISC-
based microcontroller.
 There are 54 general purpose I/O lines, 32 general purpose working
registers.
 ATMEGA 1281 controlling total 23 multiplexer/demultiplexer
modules.
 Total 48 GPIO pins were needed for the testing unit where the
selection lines of multiplexers of respective sub connectors and the
enable and signal pin of each connector are interfaced separately.

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 2. Multiplexer and Demultiplexer:
 Every sub connector has their associated 16 channels multiplexer
module as per requirement.
 The selection lines of mux module will be common of each sub
connector.
 The enable pin and signal pin of each connector will be interfaced
uniquely to control the module as per requirement.
 This multiplexer/demultiplexer hub is connected to the
microcontroller.
 Block Diagram:

102 PIN CONNECTOR

9 Pin 15 Pin 25 Pin 37 Pin 44 Pin 50 Pin 62 Pin 78 Pin

M1(1) M1(1) M1(2) M1(3) M1(3) M1(4) M1(4) M1(5)

Multiplexer/Demultiplexer Hub

ATMEGA 1281

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  Logic:
 The main module will contain 8 connectors, like a 9-pin connector, a 37-pin
connector, a 78-pin connector, etc.
 All these connectors will be interfaced with the main 102-pin connector.
 The connection will be like all 9 pins of the 9-pin connector being connected
to 1 to 9 pins of the 102-pin connector, respectively.

Fig.5 Logic

 There are separate mux/demux modules for each connector.

 Therefore, we may use the 102-pin connector's loopback functionality to test
harness configurations between various connections, such as a 25-pin
connector and a 50-pin connector.
 All 102 pins of the 102-pin connector are covered by seven additional
mux/demux modules from the current batch. The 102-pin connector harness
can now be tested; however, an additional module is needed.

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  Circuit Diagram:

Fig.6 Schematic of 102 Pin Connector

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  Proposed 3d Model of Module:

LCD DISPLAY

Connectors

102-Pin
Connector

 Each connector type have 2 different configurations that is, one is ‘PLUG’ and
another one is ‘SOCKET’.
 So the limitations of connector’s configuration is solved.
 And in case of 102-pin connector we can use buffers.

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  References:
https://docs.micropython.org/en/latest
https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/
https://www.ti.com/product/CD74HC4067
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/documents/5250334

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