Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for circuit board testing with controlled backdrive stress

US5127009A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
11References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 29, 1989
Grant dateJun 30, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 29, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/3004
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An automated circuit board testing system, for performing in-circuit, functional or cluster tests, takes backdrive stress into account in selecting appropriate isolation methods for digital devices during the design of the test protocol. In other words, the design of the test includes an analysis of the circuit board and its components, and of the available methods to isolate the device- or function-under-test from the rest of the circuit board. The analysis includes a calculation of stress currents on upstream components resulting from backdriving, and a selection of methods from those available which will produce stress currents below a pre-selected level. In another aspect of the invention, the safe maximum run-time for the test using the available methods is computed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.