Patent · US Expired

Method of inspecting component placement accuracy for each first selected circuit board to be assembled of a batch

US5739846A · kind A · utility

23Cited by
9References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 5, 1996
Grant dateApr 14, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 5, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/309
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An improved method for inspecting assembled circuit boards utilizes an existing programmable placement machine having an associated downward looking camera, illumination source, and monitor. After assembling a first circuit board of a series with electrical components according to a program which is particular to that series, and prior to removing the assembled board from the machine, an inspection is performed by: (i) automatically repositioning the relative position of the camera and the assembled circuit board, according to a portion of that same particular program, in order to address each placement position in turn; (ii) automatically acquiring an image of each placement position when it is addressed, and furnishing the image to the monitor in order to provide a magnified image on the monitor screen; (iii) visually inspecting the magnified image on the monitor screen in order to ascertain the presence or absence of the component at each placement position, the deviation in X, Y, and .theta. of the component relative to the desired placement position and/or the accuracy of connection of component leads to their respective lands on the circuit board; and (iv) providing for human…

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