dogfooding

Coincidentally, I'm just finishing up an app note on how to test photoreceivers, based on a couple of our internal test gizmos that turned into products.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Right. Why build some complicated custom test set, when you could build something that can be sold as a product?

The other concept here is is "sunk cost."

Did I say all that? Gosh.

There could be cases where a dedicated test set might be better if it used different technology. That way it might be better able to catch systematic errors that cancel out when one instance of something is used to test another instance of itself. John

You could always equip your automated test system with an on-board automated gremlin.

I think you mean that a working test system can be used to test another system. Well . . . . duh; but only if it's designed and programmed to do so.

Self check and self calibration are pretty common, but can also be another mode of failure.

Stuff that just goes gets my vote.

RL