Digital-fault loop probe and system
US4348760A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 25, 1980 |
| Grant date | Sep 7, 1982 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 25, 2000 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R31/2834
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention is a process and system for locating and identifying faulty components or faults in a circuit board (16) under test. The system includes a guided-logic probe box (20) that includes a hand held needle-tipped probe (30) and three circuit boards (32), (36) and (38), which detect and present information as to the type of signal being input to the probe needle (82). The information is presented to a human via a light (84) on the hand probe (30) and/or by three LED lights (41), (42) and (43) on the probe housing (22). The circuit board (36) includes two circuits (100) and (120). Circuit (120) is a logic separator circuit and includes latches (L.sub.1) and (L.sub.2), which gather and present information to the computer (78) of an automatic test system unit (10) via the pins (158) and (159). After acceptance by the computer (78), the computer can send back a signal via the pin (160) to reset latches (L.sub.1) and (L.sub.2) which are then free to probe another node. The testing process includes a series of steps, as set forth in the flow chart (130) which enables the system to determine what component or components are faulty in a signal loop.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.