Frequently Asked Questions

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FAQ - Frequently Asked Questíons - in this section you‘ll find our answers on many of your questions already. We keep this page permanently updated.

Products

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I cannot find a suitable contact in the Fixtest catalogue or here on the web? What should I do?

Fast, easy, useful → call us.

Many of our products we have permanently in stock, others not. Therefore we don‘t run them all in our catalogs. Or we have a very special type made specifically for a project that may be a long time ago, but we still have stocks. We search our fund, and you have a real chance that we'll find what you need. You‘ll find our contact details in the gray boxes on the right.

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Can I oder series xy with head style 123?

Please contact us, we can do many things.

First, it is possible that our records are not quite up to date - although we always try our best. Many head styles are available in certain series as s standard, because a customer wanted it like that. So it is quite possible that the desired head shape is already available. On the other hand, there is often a possibility that we combine parts from different series types - and finally we can simply take the new part in our production.

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What's XXLonglife?

XXLonglife is our answer to the problems caused by lead-free soldering. Due to the repellent surface tin deposits or other contaminations have no chance to adhere to the probes. The contact quality is improved and the life cycle time of the probes are extended. XXLonglife reduces material wear, and annoying pseudo errors in the test-line can be avoided which reduces costly maintenance work -> less is more!

Technically speaking XXLonglife is a nano coating that we apply in addition to the gold surface. This layer has a thickness of about 2-3 nm (nano-meters). The surface becomes dirt repellent (hydrophobic), at the same time very hard and smooth (reduced friction). For example, the insertion and extraction forces of a connector with XXLonglife are reduced by about 50%.

Further information about XXLonglife

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What is a metric spring probe?

In the production of printed circuit boards (pcb), the american inch unit has become standard for the declaration of the pitches between the centres of conducting pathes. The pitches are specified in mil (1 mil = 0.001 inches = 0,0254 mm). Commonly used are pitches of 50, 75 and 100 mil.

Metric spring probes follow the metric system and so the holes for the receptacle can be drilled with in europe common drills.

Besides the differences in the dimensions, metric spring probes and receptacles have collars, which are used as stops in the fixturing of receptacles and test probes. Additional spacer tubes can be installed between the collars of receptacle and probe to easily achieve variable extension heights.

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How does the color verification with the FINN sensors work?

The FINN, Smart FINN and Ultra FINN sensor verify the color of your built-in LEDs. Additionally they determine also the brightness. Especially the Smart and Ultra FINNs are true allrounders. They not only verify but recognize the colors of your LEDs - one sensor for all colors. The measurement of the color and brightness are output in the same signal.

Find more information on our FINN product page.

Product information

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Do you provide 3D models of FIXTEST products?

Yes, we do! We will send you 3D models on request. Please send us a request and tell us, which filetypes are best for you.

Caig contact cleaners

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Is the CAIG product line of contact enhancers specifically made for test probes?

No - CAIG contact care products are not designed specifically for test probes, but are widely used in the maintenance of electronic connectors, switches etc.

Typical markets are audio / video / hifi / aerospace and many other applications. The major job is cleaning and enhancing of connectors, switches and control elements for optimum signal transfer.

In the application of surface plated contacts in the test business we find the same conditions: coated surfaces and the highest possible signal transmission quality. Also contamination loads are often an issue, so an effective and reliable protection of the contact surface is essential.

We have some recommendations for cleaning and maintaining spring contact probes and test fixtures, especially with Caig products: Infoblatt Pflege und Wartung von Federkontaktstiften und Prüfadaptern (german, PDF)

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How do I maintain my faders and slide pots?

Caig's DeoxIt Fader is the perfect solution for the maintenance of faders and slide pots. It is especially designed for conductive plastics and carbon-based controls. DeoxIt Fader lubricates moving parts and enhances the signal quality.

DeoxIt Fader is the only product authorized by Rane for the maintenance of their potentiometers.

Maintenance procedure recommended by Rane for their faders (link to rane.com)

Installation

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How to drill the holes for the test probe receptacles?

For our standard test probe series, we provide a drill size table and a drill parameter table. You will find both documents on our download page.

If you need further recommendation or information on installing our spring contact probes, we'll be happy to help you. See our contact information on the right.

Sales

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I'm from country XY. Can I order directly from FIXTEST?

Please take a look at our list of our international distributors.

If there is a distributor for your country/region, please contact him. Otherwise you can send us your request.

Company

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What does the cactus in your company logo mean?

Well, that's not that difficult: We produce (test) needles and the cactus has needles, too. That's it!

FAQ

Read our FAQ to answer your questions quick and easy.

Customer Support

If you can't find the right answers to your questions in our FAQ, don't hesitate to ask us directly. Just call us or write an e-mail.

Phone +(49) 7733 5056-0
contact(at)fixtest.de