Adaptive alignment probe fixture for circuit board tester
US5506510A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 18, 1994 |
| Grant date | Apr 9, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 18, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R1/07314
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A probe fixture for an automatic circuit board tester has a high density array of probe pads. The array of probe pads are sized and spaced apart to ensure contact with all of the test points on the device under test (DUT). The width of the pads is made smaller than the known minimum separation of the test points, and the separation of the pads is made smaller than the known width of the test points. The pads are connected to remote contacts of the fixture. A multiplexer unit may be provided to connect the desired test circuits to different probe pads of the fixture. Using the multiplexer unit, a controller of the tester can individually test the relative connection status of each of the probes of the fixture. By comparing to the known test point layout of the DUT, the controller then determines which of the probe pads is in contact with which of the test points and proceeds with the desired test functions accordingly.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.