Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M6309

Smoke Testing

Smoke Testing
StructureHigh supportLogic
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

After repairing a circuit board, power it on first and see if it emits smoke. If not, proceed with detailed testing. This refers to the most basic, blocking preliminary check.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Lowest-cost verification. Before submitting a proposal or product, first self-test with a "smoke test": Is the logic sound? Have you offended anyone? Do the core functions work? Don't let low-level errors get you rejected in the first round.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Before investing in full testing, first perform the cheapest and most critical "power-on and see smoke" preliminary check. If even the most basic blocking fault exists, there is no need to continue. The mechanism is "use minimal cost to quickly eliminate fatal problems".

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%86%92%E7%85%99%E6%B8%AC%E8%A9%A6ZH · Explicit
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