Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Of individual circuit component or element
Patent
1991-12-26
1997-04-29
Nguyen, Vinh P.
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Of individual circuit component or element
324755, G01R 3126
Patent
active
056252978
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a testing device for checking electrical or electronic test specimens, particularly printed circuit boards, chips and multichip systems. The device has sensing points which, to check the functioning of the test specimen, can be arranged opposite test points of the test specimen for the transfer of testing signals.
A sensing point of the testing device is understood as a location which, when a test point of a test specimen is disposed opposite the same during testing of the test specimen, is adapted to connect this test point with the testing circuit system of the testing device for the transmission of test signals. An individual sensing point can be constituted by a single surface or by a plurality of surfaces. This surface, or these surfaces, are preferably point-like but can have other designs, e.g., linear, circular, and so on.
A test point of the test specimen is a location, or a plurality of locations, of the test specimen to which test signals from the testing circuit system of the testing device can be conducted via an oppositely disposed sensing point of this testing device, or from which test signals can be transferred to the testing circuit system via the respective sensing point of the testing device. By way of example, a test point of the test specimen can be at least one location of a conductive path, a pad, a metallic connection, an electrical or electronic component of the test specimen, a socket or the like.
A test signal can, for instance, be an electrical current, an electrical voltage or the like which is conducted to an associated test point of the respective test specimen via a sensing point of the testing device or which, for the purpose of conduction to the testing circuit system of the testing device, is conducted away from a test point of the test specimen by means of a sensing point of the testing device. The testing circuit system of the testing device then determines, for example, those test points of the respective test specimen between which a test signal is transmittable. The test signal can serve to establish the test points of the respective test specimen which are electrically connected to one another, e.g., by electrical connections formed by conductive paths of the test specimen or by impermissible short circuits. It is also possible to determine in this manner whether impermissible discontinuities are present between predetermined test points which should be electrically connected to one another. Like impermissible short circuits, such discontinuities represent defects in the test specimen. If desired, test signals can also be used for measurement purposes, e.g., measurement of the properties of electronic components of the test specimens or whether such properties do not exceed predetermined tolerances, and so on. The test signals, or the absence of test signals which should be returning, are then evaluated in the testing circuit system of the testing device where the test signals are generated to determine whether the respective test specimen is free of electrical defects or contains defects. The defective locations of a test specimen can be displayed or can be expressed in terms of coordinates in some other fashion. Other possibilities also exist.
In the known testing devices of the type indicated above, (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,443,756 and 4,528,500; German Offenlegungsschrift 23 64 786; German patent 33 43 274; Jahrbuch der Deutschen Gesellschaft fuer Chronometrie e.V., Vol. 30, pp. 269-276; European patent application 0 130 350) each sensing point is constituted by the head or tip of a metallic contact pin which, for instance, consists of steel, copper-beryllium or the like. The contact pin can be a pin which is resiliently supported axially, or a bent or straight needle which functions as a bending spring or a flexing needle. It can also be an elastic contact pin. A common feature of the known contact pins is that they take up a relatively large amount of space. This restricts the application of such testing devices and their testing possi
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Arnaudov Konstantin
Prokopp Manfred
atg electronic GmbH
Nguyen Vinh P.
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