Global travel restrictions and time restraints in conducting Factory Acceptance Testing for new transmitters have been addressed by Nautel with a new online FAT program.
A FAT is a set of pre-defined tests that many customers must witness being completed in real-time as part of project specifications. “Many of our customers simply haven’t been able to travel to factory locations since late 2019 due to the pandemic,” said Charles Andrews, Nautel Test Supervisor, “and even in the absence of COVID many customers have cost or visa restrictions making it difficult to attend these tests in person.”
Andrews’ team leveraged the increasingly-versatile capabilities of online meeting platforms,
paired with virtual communications interfaces such as Teams or Team Viewer, to allow
customers to witness transmitter testing in real-time as part of their final acceptance process. The Nautel AUI and multiple pieces of measurement equipment are employed along with a suite of cameras, wireless microphones and personnel to conduct the tests. Customers are able to communicate with their transmitter(s) via the AUI and view performance measurements throughout the final testing process.
“We consider comprehensive communication with our customers critical to the manufacturing and testing process,” said Andrews. “Although we enjoy having our customers here in person, this new system brings a more affordable and immediate solution to them.”
A short video explaining the online FAT process is available via Nautel’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7v5MNA2Ncc .
