Method and apparatus for determining short circuit conditions using a gang probe circuit tester
US6201383A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 22, 1998 |
| Grant date | Mar 13, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 22, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R31/52
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for determining whether short circuits exist among networks within a circuit under test includes bringing test probes into contact with each such network and switching groups of the test probes among two sides of a test circuit so that current flows through the testing circuit only when one of the test probes connected to one side of the testing circuit is connected by means of a short circuit to one of the test probes connected to the other side of the test circuit. This first test process establishes the fact that a short circuit exists without determining which networks are connected by the short circuit. A version of this method subsequently applies tests to individual networks to make this determination, in the event that a short circuit is found to exist by the first test process. Other versions of this method additionally determine which networks are connected to which other networks by short circuits.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.