CA1226678A - Positioning unit for testing printed circuit boards, particularly ceramic printed circuit boards - Google Patents
Positioning unit for testing printed circuit boards, particularly ceramic printed circuit boardsInfo
- Publication number
- CA1226678A CA1226678A CA000467103A CA467103A CA1226678A CA 1226678 A CA1226678 A CA 1226678A CA 000467103 A CA000467103 A CA 000467103A CA 467103 A CA467103 A CA 467103A CA 1226678 A CA1226678 A CA 1226678A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- printed circuit
- circuit board
- tested
- testing apparatus
- support unit
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R1/00—Details of instruments or arrangements of the types included in groups G01R5/00 - G01R13/00 and G01R31/00
- G01R1/02—General constructional details
- G01R1/06—Measuring leads; Measuring probes
- G01R1/067—Measuring probes
- G01R1/073—Multiple probes
- G01R1/07307—Multiple probes with individual probe elements, e.g. needles, cantilever beams or bump contacts, fixed in relation to each other, e.g. bed of nails fixture or probe card
- G01R1/07314—Multiple probes with individual probe elements, e.g. needles, cantilever beams or bump contacts, fixed in relation to each other, e.g. bed of nails fixture or probe card the body of the probe being perpendicular to test object, e.g. bed of nails or probe with bump contacts on a rigid support
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Testing Of Short-Circuits, Discontinuities, Leakage, Or Incorrect Line Connections (AREA)
- Tests Of Electronic Circuits (AREA)
- Length Measuring Devices By Optical Means (AREA)
- Testing Electric Properties And Detecting Electric Faults (AREA)
- Printing Elements For Providing Electric Connections Between Printed Circuits (AREA)
Abstract
Abstract of the Disclosure Apparatus for locating and pressing circuit printed boards to be tested in a printed circuit board testing apparatus onto an array of test contacts positioned in accordance with the test points on the printed circuit board. The circuit boards to be tested are supported in a plane parallel with the test contact plane and for movement from an initial position to a test position.
Positioning means are provided for properly aligning the circuit board to be tested with the test contacts. The circuit board supporting means is mounted for pivoting into a circuit board placement position turned away from the test contact plane. The positioning means comprises at least one light marker projector mounted to optically position a correspondingly marked circuit board to be tested on the up-turned support. Pneumatic, mechanical and/or electromechanical means are provided for fixing the printed circuit board in its aligned position on the circuit board supporting means.
Page
Positioning means are provided for properly aligning the circuit board to be tested with the test contacts. The circuit board supporting means is mounted for pivoting into a circuit board placement position turned away from the test contact plane. The positioning means comprises at least one light marker projector mounted to optically position a correspondingly marked circuit board to be tested on the up-turned support. Pneumatic, mechanical and/or electromechanical means are provided for fixing the printed circuit board in its aligned position on the circuit board supporting means.
Page
Description
phoebe POSITIONING UNIT FOR TESTING PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS, PARTICULARLY CERAMIC PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS
Background of the Invention The present invention relates to a unit for positioning printed circuit boards relative to a printed circuit board testing apparatus.
The practice of electronically testing industrially fabricated 5 printed circuit boards has gained wide acceptance. Thus, the quality of the boards may be judged prior to further processing - such as the installation of comparatively expensive electronic components on the boards. If a printed circuit board has one thousand contacts, about 500,000 individual tests I
10 must be yo-yo on two-point connections to ensure that the board has been reliably tested. It has been found that the overall testing cannot be performed economically and in a justifiable time period unless it is done electronically by 15 means of a computer.
computer-controlled printed circuit board testing apparatus of this kind is programmed by placing a faultless master circuit board in a mount provided to receive the printed circuit boards. Then all possible combinations of two-point connections are automatically tested and the computer memorizes I' I: I
the results of each possible connection on the master circuit board. Thereafter, production circuit boards are fed into such apparatus for testing. In the testing process, each individual two-point connection is compared with the memorized information, and in the absence of identity between the measured information, and in the absence of identity between the measured information and the information memorized, an error output is generated and, if desired, the defective circuit board is automatically ejected.
10 Each test point on the printed circuit board requires a test contact. The test contacts of the testing are generally arranged in a regular array while the test points on the printed circuit board are quite irregularly arranged.
To accommodate this, the regular grid pattern of testing 15 contacts provided on the printed circuit board testing apparatus is modified by a so-called customizable adaptor which has contact pins arranged in a specific pattern corresponding to the pattern of the connection points on the circuit board to be tested. In other words: each contact on the printed circuit board is connected by one contact pin in the customizable adaptor with a selected contact in the regular grid of connection points of the printed circuit board testing apparatus.
A suitable customizable adaptor is disclosed in German Laid-Open Application DEMOS 29 33 862 (laid open March 12, 1981).
To precisely and repeatahly position the printed circuit board to be tested on the adaptor, a plurality of locating pins is provided to engage complementary locating openings in the printed circuit board. Having been properly positioned relative to the contact pins of the customizable adaptor, the printed circuit board is then pressed on the aforesaid contact pins by suitable pressure means so that the computer-controlled printed circuit board testing apparatus may execute its testing routine.
Of course, suitable automatic means may be provided for feeding and placing the printed circuit boards in the test position so that the testing process may take its course without human intervention.
Conventional printed circuit boards usually have a minimum contact spacing of 2.54 mm (0.10 inch). Normally, each contact has a drilled hole associated therewith which extends through the circuit board and which is designed to receive the lead of an electronic component to be connected by soldering to the contact. To obtain higher contact densities, ceramic printed circuit boards have been used increasingly in recent years: on it these ceramic printed circuit boards, the contact spacing or pitch is as little as 1.27 mm (0.05 inch). Also, the contacts themselves are not provided with drilled holes, but rather, are merely small conducting areas or pads on the surface of the 5 ceramic substrate to which the leads of components are soldered. Since such printed circuit boards are not provided with drilled component lead holes, they are also usually not provided with drilled positioning holes. Testing of such ceramic printed circuit boards in an assembly-line fashion may 10 cause difficulties because such printed circuit boards lack positioning holes. Also, it is not generally feasible to visually inspect the circuit board surface to be contacted with the customizable adaptor because it has to be pressed onto the contact pins of the customizable adaptor which tends to conceal 15 the test points from view.
It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which enables the ceramic printed circuit boards under test to be aligned rapidly and precisely on a specific customized adaptor even if they have no positioning holes therein. It is a 20 further object of the invention to provide a method for setting up the positioning unit.
iffy Brief Description of the Invention The invention provides an assembly for locating printed circuit boards to be tested in a printed circuit board testing apparatus such that connection points of the printed circuit boards are aligned with an array of test contacts of the testing apparatus, said assembly comprising: a support unit having opposite first and second surfaces including respective means for holding respect live printed circuit boards to be tested means mounting said support unit for rectilinear movement toward and away from the testing apparatus between a testing position and a spaced position, and for, when said support unit is in said spaced position, rotary movement about an axis extending transverse to the direction of said rectilinear movement, and thereby directing a selected one of said first or second surfaces and the respective printed circuit board held thereon toward the testing apparatus, thereafter said support unit is moved to said testing position, and directing the other of said first or second surfaces away from the testing apparatus, whereat a previously tested printed circuit board may be removed from said other surface and a new printed circuit board to be tested may be positioned thereon; and positioning means for aligning the new printed circuit board -to be tested in a precise positional relationship on said other surface to enable alignment thereof with the array of test contacts of the testing apparatus upon subsequent rotary movement of said support unit about said axis to direct said other surface and the new printed circuit board to be tested toward the testing apparatus, said positioning means ~1.2~Çi7~3 comprising at least one light marker projector for projecting a light mark toward and aligning with an alignment mark on the new printed circuit board to be tested.
The invention also provides a method of testing printed circuit boards in a printed circuit board testing apparatus while locating said printed circuit boards such that connection points of said printed circuit boards are aligned with an array of test contacts of the testing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of: providing a support unit having opposite first and second surfaces including respective means for holding respective printed circuit boards to be tested; rotating said support unit about an axis extending parallel]. to the plane of said array of test contacts of said testing apparatus to thereby direct said first surface away from said testing apparatus; positioning a first printed circuit board to be tested on said first surface to be held by said respective holding means thereof while projecting a light mark from at least one light marker projector toward said first printed circuit board and aligning an alignment mark on said first printed circuit board with said projected light mark, thereby positioning said first printed circuit board in precise predator-mined positional relationship on said first surface as. a function of the position of said array of test contacts; rotating said support unit about said axis to thereby direct said first surface and said first printed circuit board toward said testing apparatus and to direct said second surface away from said testing apparatus;
moving said support unit in a rectilinear direction transverse to - pa -fix said axis toward said testing apparatus until connection points of said first printed circuit board to be tested contact said array of test contacts, and then testing said first printed circuit board; during said testing, removing a previously tested printed circuit board from said second surface, and repeating said post-toning and aligning steps to thereby position a second printed circuit board to be tested on said second surface in a precise pro-determined positional relationship as a function of the position of said array of test contacts; after said testing, moving said support unit in a rectilinear direction transverse to said axis away from said testing apparatus; and sequentially repeating the above recited steps.
Brief Description of the Drawings To facilitate a better understanding of the invention, an exemplary embodiment thereof will now be described below and reference will be made to the attached drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a schematic view of a positioning unit including the two light marker projectors, and - 5b -Figure 2 ~ff9 a side view of the apparatus depicted in Figure 1.
Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment A support unit 4 is rotatable mounted above a customizable adaptor 30 on a horizontal shaft 2 and for movement in a vertical direction. The phantom lines depict support unit 4 in a raised position while the solid lines depict support unit 4 in a lowered position. Support unit 4 has two opposite surfaces 6 and 8, each adapted to receive a (ceramic) printed circuit board 10, which can be retained thereon by pneumatic or other means.
Since ceramic printed circuit boards typically have no holes therein, they can be easily retained in place by applying a vacuum to their rear surfaces. Vacuum applying equipment is 15 well known and therefore it is not described here in detail although it is schematically depicted at numeral 20 in Figure
Background of the Invention The present invention relates to a unit for positioning printed circuit boards relative to a printed circuit board testing apparatus.
The practice of electronically testing industrially fabricated 5 printed circuit boards has gained wide acceptance. Thus, the quality of the boards may be judged prior to further processing - such as the installation of comparatively expensive electronic components on the boards. If a printed circuit board has one thousand contacts, about 500,000 individual tests I
10 must be yo-yo on two-point connections to ensure that the board has been reliably tested. It has been found that the overall testing cannot be performed economically and in a justifiable time period unless it is done electronically by 15 means of a computer.
computer-controlled printed circuit board testing apparatus of this kind is programmed by placing a faultless master circuit board in a mount provided to receive the printed circuit boards. Then all possible combinations of two-point connections are automatically tested and the computer memorizes I' I: I
the results of each possible connection on the master circuit board. Thereafter, production circuit boards are fed into such apparatus for testing. In the testing process, each individual two-point connection is compared with the memorized information, and in the absence of identity between the measured information, and in the absence of identity between the measured information and the information memorized, an error output is generated and, if desired, the defective circuit board is automatically ejected.
10 Each test point on the printed circuit board requires a test contact. The test contacts of the testing are generally arranged in a regular array while the test points on the printed circuit board are quite irregularly arranged.
To accommodate this, the regular grid pattern of testing 15 contacts provided on the printed circuit board testing apparatus is modified by a so-called customizable adaptor which has contact pins arranged in a specific pattern corresponding to the pattern of the connection points on the circuit board to be tested. In other words: each contact on the printed circuit board is connected by one contact pin in the customizable adaptor with a selected contact in the regular grid of connection points of the printed circuit board testing apparatus.
A suitable customizable adaptor is disclosed in German Laid-Open Application DEMOS 29 33 862 (laid open March 12, 1981).
To precisely and repeatahly position the printed circuit board to be tested on the adaptor, a plurality of locating pins is provided to engage complementary locating openings in the printed circuit board. Having been properly positioned relative to the contact pins of the customizable adaptor, the printed circuit board is then pressed on the aforesaid contact pins by suitable pressure means so that the computer-controlled printed circuit board testing apparatus may execute its testing routine.
Of course, suitable automatic means may be provided for feeding and placing the printed circuit boards in the test position so that the testing process may take its course without human intervention.
Conventional printed circuit boards usually have a minimum contact spacing of 2.54 mm (0.10 inch). Normally, each contact has a drilled hole associated therewith which extends through the circuit board and which is designed to receive the lead of an electronic component to be connected by soldering to the contact. To obtain higher contact densities, ceramic printed circuit boards have been used increasingly in recent years: on it these ceramic printed circuit boards, the contact spacing or pitch is as little as 1.27 mm (0.05 inch). Also, the contacts themselves are not provided with drilled holes, but rather, are merely small conducting areas or pads on the surface of the 5 ceramic substrate to which the leads of components are soldered. Since such printed circuit boards are not provided with drilled component lead holes, they are also usually not provided with drilled positioning holes. Testing of such ceramic printed circuit boards in an assembly-line fashion may 10 cause difficulties because such printed circuit boards lack positioning holes. Also, it is not generally feasible to visually inspect the circuit board surface to be contacted with the customizable adaptor because it has to be pressed onto the contact pins of the customizable adaptor which tends to conceal 15 the test points from view.
It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which enables the ceramic printed circuit boards under test to be aligned rapidly and precisely on a specific customized adaptor even if they have no positioning holes therein. It is a 20 further object of the invention to provide a method for setting up the positioning unit.
iffy Brief Description of the Invention The invention provides an assembly for locating printed circuit boards to be tested in a printed circuit board testing apparatus such that connection points of the printed circuit boards are aligned with an array of test contacts of the testing apparatus, said assembly comprising: a support unit having opposite first and second surfaces including respective means for holding respect live printed circuit boards to be tested means mounting said support unit for rectilinear movement toward and away from the testing apparatus between a testing position and a spaced position, and for, when said support unit is in said spaced position, rotary movement about an axis extending transverse to the direction of said rectilinear movement, and thereby directing a selected one of said first or second surfaces and the respective printed circuit board held thereon toward the testing apparatus, thereafter said support unit is moved to said testing position, and directing the other of said first or second surfaces away from the testing apparatus, whereat a previously tested printed circuit board may be removed from said other surface and a new printed circuit board to be tested may be positioned thereon; and positioning means for aligning the new printed circuit board -to be tested in a precise positional relationship on said other surface to enable alignment thereof with the array of test contacts of the testing apparatus upon subsequent rotary movement of said support unit about said axis to direct said other surface and the new printed circuit board to be tested toward the testing apparatus, said positioning means ~1.2~Çi7~3 comprising at least one light marker projector for projecting a light mark toward and aligning with an alignment mark on the new printed circuit board to be tested.
The invention also provides a method of testing printed circuit boards in a printed circuit board testing apparatus while locating said printed circuit boards such that connection points of said printed circuit boards are aligned with an array of test contacts of the testing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of: providing a support unit having opposite first and second surfaces including respective means for holding respective printed circuit boards to be tested; rotating said support unit about an axis extending parallel]. to the plane of said array of test contacts of said testing apparatus to thereby direct said first surface away from said testing apparatus; positioning a first printed circuit board to be tested on said first surface to be held by said respective holding means thereof while projecting a light mark from at least one light marker projector toward said first printed circuit board and aligning an alignment mark on said first printed circuit board with said projected light mark, thereby positioning said first printed circuit board in precise predator-mined positional relationship on said first surface as. a function of the position of said array of test contacts; rotating said support unit about said axis to thereby direct said first surface and said first printed circuit board toward said testing apparatus and to direct said second surface away from said testing apparatus;
moving said support unit in a rectilinear direction transverse to - pa -fix said axis toward said testing apparatus until connection points of said first printed circuit board to be tested contact said array of test contacts, and then testing said first printed circuit board; during said testing, removing a previously tested printed circuit board from said second surface, and repeating said post-toning and aligning steps to thereby position a second printed circuit board to be tested on said second surface in a precise pro-determined positional relationship as a function of the position of said array of test contacts; after said testing, moving said support unit in a rectilinear direction transverse to said axis away from said testing apparatus; and sequentially repeating the above recited steps.
Brief Description of the Drawings To facilitate a better understanding of the invention, an exemplary embodiment thereof will now be described below and reference will be made to the attached drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a schematic view of a positioning unit including the two light marker projectors, and - 5b -Figure 2 ~ff9 a side view of the apparatus depicted in Figure 1.
Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment A support unit 4 is rotatable mounted above a customizable adaptor 30 on a horizontal shaft 2 and for movement in a vertical direction. The phantom lines depict support unit 4 in a raised position while the solid lines depict support unit 4 in a lowered position. Support unit 4 has two opposite surfaces 6 and 8, each adapted to receive a (ceramic) printed circuit board 10, which can be retained thereon by pneumatic or other means.
Since ceramic printed circuit boards typically have no holes therein, they can be easily retained in place by applying a vacuum to their rear surfaces. Vacuum applying equipment is 15 well known and therefore it is not described here in detail although it is schematically depicted at numeral 20 in Figure
2. Alternatively, mechanical or electromechanical devices may be used to retain printed circuit boards 10 in place on surfaces 6, 8, if desired.
The support unit 4 is mounted on a printed circuit board it testing apparatus of which the contact array base grid plate is indicated by the lowermost solid line 36 in the drawings. Placed on this base grid plate 36 is customizable adaptor 30 which may rest on a reducing adaptor 32 and an intermediate adaptor 34, as illustrated in the embodiment shown in the drawings. The latter two adaptors 32, 34 are preferably used to convert the relatively wide-spaced basic grid contact array of a conventional printed circuit board testing apparatus to a much denser base grid suited for testing ceramic printed circuit boards.
lo The support unit 4 is mounted on a horizontal mounting frame 14 which is coupled to the printed circuit board testing apparatus (not shown) by vertically extending bolts 16. The mount-in frame has thereon brackets 18 supporting horizontal shaft 2 of the pressure unit. The horizontal shaft supports the support unit 4, which may be of rectangular boxlike shape, for vertical movement luff and 180 degree pivot able movement en the aforesaid shaft above the customizable adaptor 30. The pivoting and it vertical movements of support unit 4 towards the customizable adaptor 30 are provided in order to alternatingly urge the ceramic printed circuit boards lo attachable to and fixable on opposite surfaces 6, 8 of the pressure block against the 5 customizable adaptor 30 so as to create the necessary contact pressure. jig. l shows support unit 4 in its uppermost position in phantom lines; in that position, it may be pivoted on horizontal shaft 2 and the previously tested circuit board lo may be replaced by a circuit board yet to be tested.
10 Support unit 4 is shown in solid lines in its lowermost position in which the ceramic printed circuit board is pressed on the customizable adaptor 30. This position also allows for a replacement of the previously tested circuit board by a fresh untested circuit board.
15 Hydraulic or pneumatic mechanisms (not shown) inside support unit 4 provide the aforesaid vertical reciprocating movement and the required pressures. The mechanism used for rotating or pivoting the support unit 4 by 180 degrees in each operating cycle is not shown in detail, either, as such mechanisms are 20 well known in the art.
The ceramic circuit board lo is held in a stationary position on the opposite surfaces of the pressure block by pneumatic means 20. In other words, as indicated schematically in Figure I
2, these two support surfaces are constructed in the form of vacuum plates 20, which are well known in the art. By properly timed application of vacuum to suitable openings in suction plate 20, the ceramic printed circuit board 10 may readily be 5 retained in position on the suction plate 20.
I
-4~Yb~ light marker projectors 12 are mounted by a frame or uprights 22 above the pressure block. These light marker projectors cooperate with two alignment marts on the surface of the ceramic printed circuit board 10 for optically adjusting 10 the position of the latter on the upwardly facing suction plate 20.
In operation, a ceramic printed circuit board to be tested 10 is placed on surface 6 with the side having the contacts thereon turned upwards facing the operator. As will be seen, the board is provided with preferably two alignment marks which the operator will adjust to two corresponding light markers projected by projection lamps 12 and which are positioned during apparatus set-up. This way, the ceramic printed circuit board 10 to be tested can be positioned in a 20 rapid and precise manner for subsequent pneumatic retention, thereafter the support unit 4 is pivoted about its horizontal axis and moved vertically downward, such movement being preferably effected by suitable hydraulic elements provided in it the interior of the support unit 4, causing the precisely positioned ceramic printed circuit 10 to be pressed onto the array of test contacts of the customizable adaptor 30 of the test apparatus. The ceramic printed circuit board 10 5 previously examined and situated on the identical opposite support surface 8 is exchanged by the operator for another circuit board to be tested, the latter being positioned by the operator with the aid of the alignment markers on the circuit boards and the light markers imaged by the projector lamps 12.
10 Thereafter, support unit 4 will again be raised from the customizable adaptor 30 and will be rotated 180 degrees on horizontal shaft 2 so that the operator can now remove the circuit board 10 just tested and replace it by yet another new one, as explained above. The operating cycle described above 15 will then be repeated.
As mentioned before, during the set up of the testing apparatus the light marker projectors 12 must be correctly positioned to cast their light markers on the proper points on surfaces 6, 8.
To this end, a relatively thin and ductile sheet of plastic or 20 metallic material is held on one of receiving surfaces 6, 8 by the vacuum apparatus 20 and pressed onto the customizable adaptor 30, the contact pin positions of which have previously been arranged to correspond precisely to the contact array pattern on the ceramic printed circuit board 10 to be tested.
This operation embosses the thin sheet of material with a pattern corresponding to the arrangement of the contact pins.
The support unit 4 is thereafter rotated and the impressions the contact pins leave in the thin sheet are utilized to adjust 5 the projectors 12 to project their light markers to convenient positions on the thin sheet. Such positions may be generally or specifically identified before the embossing operation. the projectors 12 are then fixed in place and, if not already done, the projected markers are marked as alignment marks on the thin 10 sheet using a Corey other convenient tool. The vacuum can thence be released, the thin sheet removed from surface 6, 8 and, if not already made, it can be used to make masks which are used during the manufacture of printed circuit boards loo In either event, the proper relationship between the positions 15 of the test points and the alignment marks is carried over to the mask. Thus, the manufactured printed circuit boards will include alignment marks which need only be aligned with the light markers projected by lamps 12 to ensure subsequent proper alignment with the test pins of the testing apparatus.
20 Having described the invention in connection with specific embodiments thereof, modification may now suggest itself to those skilled in the art. Such modification can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited I
to the disclosed embodiment except as required by the appended claims.
The support unit 4 is mounted on a printed circuit board it testing apparatus of which the contact array base grid plate is indicated by the lowermost solid line 36 in the drawings. Placed on this base grid plate 36 is customizable adaptor 30 which may rest on a reducing adaptor 32 and an intermediate adaptor 34, as illustrated in the embodiment shown in the drawings. The latter two adaptors 32, 34 are preferably used to convert the relatively wide-spaced basic grid contact array of a conventional printed circuit board testing apparatus to a much denser base grid suited for testing ceramic printed circuit boards.
lo The support unit 4 is mounted on a horizontal mounting frame 14 which is coupled to the printed circuit board testing apparatus (not shown) by vertically extending bolts 16. The mount-in frame has thereon brackets 18 supporting horizontal shaft 2 of the pressure unit. The horizontal shaft supports the support unit 4, which may be of rectangular boxlike shape, for vertical movement luff and 180 degree pivot able movement en the aforesaid shaft above the customizable adaptor 30. The pivoting and it vertical movements of support unit 4 towards the customizable adaptor 30 are provided in order to alternatingly urge the ceramic printed circuit boards lo attachable to and fixable on opposite surfaces 6, 8 of the pressure block against the 5 customizable adaptor 30 so as to create the necessary contact pressure. jig. l shows support unit 4 in its uppermost position in phantom lines; in that position, it may be pivoted on horizontal shaft 2 and the previously tested circuit board lo may be replaced by a circuit board yet to be tested.
10 Support unit 4 is shown in solid lines in its lowermost position in which the ceramic printed circuit board is pressed on the customizable adaptor 30. This position also allows for a replacement of the previously tested circuit board by a fresh untested circuit board.
15 Hydraulic or pneumatic mechanisms (not shown) inside support unit 4 provide the aforesaid vertical reciprocating movement and the required pressures. The mechanism used for rotating or pivoting the support unit 4 by 180 degrees in each operating cycle is not shown in detail, either, as such mechanisms are 20 well known in the art.
The ceramic circuit board lo is held in a stationary position on the opposite surfaces of the pressure block by pneumatic means 20. In other words, as indicated schematically in Figure I
2, these two support surfaces are constructed in the form of vacuum plates 20, which are well known in the art. By properly timed application of vacuum to suitable openings in suction plate 20, the ceramic printed circuit board 10 may readily be 5 retained in position on the suction plate 20.
I
-4~Yb~ light marker projectors 12 are mounted by a frame or uprights 22 above the pressure block. These light marker projectors cooperate with two alignment marts on the surface of the ceramic printed circuit board 10 for optically adjusting 10 the position of the latter on the upwardly facing suction plate 20.
In operation, a ceramic printed circuit board to be tested 10 is placed on surface 6 with the side having the contacts thereon turned upwards facing the operator. As will be seen, the board is provided with preferably two alignment marks which the operator will adjust to two corresponding light markers projected by projection lamps 12 and which are positioned during apparatus set-up. This way, the ceramic printed circuit board 10 to be tested can be positioned in a 20 rapid and precise manner for subsequent pneumatic retention, thereafter the support unit 4 is pivoted about its horizontal axis and moved vertically downward, such movement being preferably effected by suitable hydraulic elements provided in it the interior of the support unit 4, causing the precisely positioned ceramic printed circuit 10 to be pressed onto the array of test contacts of the customizable adaptor 30 of the test apparatus. The ceramic printed circuit board 10 5 previously examined and situated on the identical opposite support surface 8 is exchanged by the operator for another circuit board to be tested, the latter being positioned by the operator with the aid of the alignment markers on the circuit boards and the light markers imaged by the projector lamps 12.
10 Thereafter, support unit 4 will again be raised from the customizable adaptor 30 and will be rotated 180 degrees on horizontal shaft 2 so that the operator can now remove the circuit board 10 just tested and replace it by yet another new one, as explained above. The operating cycle described above 15 will then be repeated.
As mentioned before, during the set up of the testing apparatus the light marker projectors 12 must be correctly positioned to cast their light markers on the proper points on surfaces 6, 8.
To this end, a relatively thin and ductile sheet of plastic or 20 metallic material is held on one of receiving surfaces 6, 8 by the vacuum apparatus 20 and pressed onto the customizable adaptor 30, the contact pin positions of which have previously been arranged to correspond precisely to the contact array pattern on the ceramic printed circuit board 10 to be tested.
This operation embosses the thin sheet of material with a pattern corresponding to the arrangement of the contact pins.
The support unit 4 is thereafter rotated and the impressions the contact pins leave in the thin sheet are utilized to adjust 5 the projectors 12 to project their light markers to convenient positions on the thin sheet. Such positions may be generally or specifically identified before the embossing operation. the projectors 12 are then fixed in place and, if not already done, the projected markers are marked as alignment marks on the thin 10 sheet using a Corey other convenient tool. The vacuum can thence be released, the thin sheet removed from surface 6, 8 and, if not already made, it can be used to make masks which are used during the manufacture of printed circuit boards loo In either event, the proper relationship between the positions 15 of the test points and the alignment marks is carried over to the mask. Thus, the manufactured printed circuit boards will include alignment marks which need only be aligned with the light markers projected by lamps 12 to ensure subsequent proper alignment with the test pins of the testing apparatus.
20 Having described the invention in connection with specific embodiments thereof, modification may now suggest itself to those skilled in the art. Such modification can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited I
to the disclosed embodiment except as required by the appended claims.
Claims (3)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An assembly for locating printed circuit boards to be tested in a printed circuit board testing apparatus such that con-nection points of the printed circuit boards are aligned with an array of test contacts of the testing apparatus, said assembly comprising:
a support unit having opposite first and second surfaces including respective means for holding respective printed circuit boards to be tested;
means mounting said support unit for rectilinear move-ment toward and away from the testing apparatus between a testing position and a spaced position, and for, when said support unit is in said spaced position, rotary movement about an axis extending transverse to the direction of said rectilinear movement, and thereby directing a selected one of said first or second surfaces and the respective printed circuit board held thereon toward the testing apparatus, whereafter said support unit is moved to said testing position, and directing the other of said first or second surfaces away from the testing apparatus, whereat a previously tested printed circuit board may be removed from said other surface and a new printed circuit board to be tested may be positioned thereon; and positioning means for aligning the new printed circuit board to be tested in a precise positional relationship on said other surface to enable alignment thereof with the array of test contacts of the testing apparatus upon subsequent rotary movement of said support unit about said axis to direct said other surface and the new printed circuit board to be tested toward the testing apparatus, said positioning means comprising at least one light marker projector for projecting a light mark toward and aligning with an alignment mark on the new printed circuit board to be tested.
a support unit having opposite first and second surfaces including respective means for holding respective printed circuit boards to be tested;
means mounting said support unit for rectilinear move-ment toward and away from the testing apparatus between a testing position and a spaced position, and for, when said support unit is in said spaced position, rotary movement about an axis extending transverse to the direction of said rectilinear movement, and thereby directing a selected one of said first or second surfaces and the respective printed circuit board held thereon toward the testing apparatus, whereafter said support unit is moved to said testing position, and directing the other of said first or second surfaces away from the testing apparatus, whereat a previously tested printed circuit board may be removed from said other surface and a new printed circuit board to be tested may be positioned thereon; and positioning means for aligning the new printed circuit board to be tested in a precise positional relationship on said other surface to enable alignment thereof with the array of test contacts of the testing apparatus upon subsequent rotary movement of said support unit about said axis to direct said other surface and the new printed circuit board to be tested toward the testing apparatus, said positioning means comprising at least one light marker projector for projecting a light mark toward and aligning with an alignment mark on the new printed circuit board to be tested.
2. A method of testing printed circuit boards in a printed circuit board testing apparatus while locating said printed circuit boards such that connection points of said printed circuit boards are aligned with an array of test contacts of the testing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a support unit having opposite first and second surfaces including respective means for holding respective printed circuit boards to be tested;
rotating said support unit about an axis extending parallel to the plane of said array of test contacts of said test-in apparatus to thereby direct said first surface away from said testing apparatus;
positioning a first printed circuit board to be tested on said first surface to be held by said respective holding means thereof while projecting a light mark from at least one light mark-or projector toward said first printed circuit board and aligning an alignment mark on said first printed circuit board with said projected light mark, thereby positioning said first printed circuit board in precise predetermined positional relationship on said first surface as a function of the position of said array of test contacts;
rotating said support unit about said axis to thereby direct said first surface and said first printed circuit board to-ward said testing apparatus and to direct said second surface away from said testing apparatus;
moving said support unit in a rectilinear direction trans-verse to said axis toward said testing apparatus until connection points of said first printed circuit board to be tested contact said array of test contacts, and then testing said first printed circuit boards;
during said testing, moving a previously tested printed circuit board from said second surface, and repeating said posi-tioning and aligning steps to thereby position a second printed circuit board to be tested on said second surface in a precise predetermined positional relationship as a function of the position of said array of test contacts;
after said testing, moving said support unit in a recti-linear direction transverse to said axis away from said testing apparatus; and sequentially repeating the above recited steps.
providing a support unit having opposite first and second surfaces including respective means for holding respective printed circuit boards to be tested;
rotating said support unit about an axis extending parallel to the plane of said array of test contacts of said test-in apparatus to thereby direct said first surface away from said testing apparatus;
positioning a first printed circuit board to be tested on said first surface to be held by said respective holding means thereof while projecting a light mark from at least one light mark-or projector toward said first printed circuit board and aligning an alignment mark on said first printed circuit board with said projected light mark, thereby positioning said first printed circuit board in precise predetermined positional relationship on said first surface as a function of the position of said array of test contacts;
rotating said support unit about said axis to thereby direct said first surface and said first printed circuit board to-ward said testing apparatus and to direct said second surface away from said testing apparatus;
moving said support unit in a rectilinear direction trans-verse to said axis toward said testing apparatus until connection points of said first printed circuit board to be tested contact said array of test contacts, and then testing said first printed circuit boards;
during said testing, moving a previously tested printed circuit board from said second surface, and repeating said posi-tioning and aligning steps to thereby position a second printed circuit board to be tested on said second surface in a precise predetermined positional relationship as a function of the position of said array of test contacts;
after said testing, moving said support unit in a recti-linear direction transverse to said axis away from said testing apparatus; and sequentially repeating the above recited steps.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising deter-mining the position of said light marker projector to ensure pre-cise positioning of printed circuit boards to be tested on said surfaces of said support unit to enable alignment of said connection points of said printed circuit boards to be tested with said array of test contacts, said determining comprising:
positioning a relatively thin sheet of ductile material on one of said surfaces of said support unit;
moving said support unit in said rectilinear direction toward said testing apparatus and pressing said thin sheet toward said array of test contact, thereby forming in said thin sheet impressions of said array of test contacts;
moving said support unit and said thin sheet in said rectilinear direction away from said testing apparatus, and rotating said support unit about said axis to direct said thin sheet away from said testing apparatus;
directing a light mark from said projector to a selected location on said thin sheet, said selected location corresponding to the position of said alignment mark on each said printed air-cult board to be tested; and fixing the position of said projector.
positioning a relatively thin sheet of ductile material on one of said surfaces of said support unit;
moving said support unit in said rectilinear direction toward said testing apparatus and pressing said thin sheet toward said array of test contact, thereby forming in said thin sheet impressions of said array of test contacts;
moving said support unit and said thin sheet in said rectilinear direction away from said testing apparatus, and rotating said support unit about said axis to direct said thin sheet away from said testing apparatus;
directing a light mark from said projector to a selected location on said thin sheet, said selected location corresponding to the position of said alignment mark on each said printed air-cult board to be tested; and fixing the position of said projector.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE3340178A DE3340178C1 (en) | 1983-11-07 | 1983-11-07 | Device for pressing on printed circuit boards to be tested in a printed circuit board test device and method for adjusting the associated light mark projectors |
| DEP3340178.0 | 1983-11-07 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1226678A true CA1226678A (en) | 1987-09-08 |
Family
ID=6213642
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000467103A Expired CA1226678A (en) | 1983-11-07 | 1984-11-06 | Positioning unit for testing printed circuit boards, particularly ceramic printed circuit boards |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0145930B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPS60161510A (en) |
| AT (1) | ATE32382T1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1226678A (en) |
| DE (2) | DE3340178C1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4818933A (en) * | 1986-10-08 | 1989-04-04 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Board fixturing system |
| US5408189A (en) * | 1990-05-25 | 1995-04-18 | Everett Charles Technologies, Inc. | Test fixture alignment system for printed circuit boards |
| FR2692048B1 (en) * | 1992-06-09 | 1996-09-06 | Everett Charles Tech | TEST ASSEMBLY. |
Family Cites Families (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1384550A (en) * | 1971-12-01 | 1975-02-19 | Int Computers Ltd | Test probe apparatus for use in testing electrically conductive paths |
| US3792615A (en) * | 1972-05-15 | 1974-02-19 | Teledyne Inc | Precision positioning mechanism, particularly for positioning test probes and the like with respect to micro-electronic units |
| US4017793A (en) * | 1975-08-11 | 1977-04-12 | Haines Fred E | Printed circuit board circuit tester |
| JPS5582009A (en) * | 1978-12-14 | 1980-06-20 | Fujitsu Ltd | Alignment system for tested printed board |
| DE2929123C2 (en) * | 1979-07-18 | 1984-08-30 | Siemens AG, 1000 Berlin und 8000 München | Detection of faults in electrical flat assemblies |
| DE2933862A1 (en) * | 1979-08-21 | 1981-03-12 | Paul Mang | DEVICE FOR ELECTRONICALLY CHECKING CIRCUIT BOARDS. |
| JPS5750487A (en) * | 1980-09-12 | 1982-03-24 | Hitachi Ltd | Device for securing printed circuit board |
-
1983
- 1983-11-07 DE DE3340178A patent/DE3340178C1/en not_active Expired
-
1984
- 1984-11-06 CA CA000467103A patent/CA1226678A/en not_active Expired
- 1984-11-06 AT AT84113374T patent/ATE32382T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1984-11-06 DE DE8484113374T patent/DE3469227D1/en not_active Expired
- 1984-11-06 EP EP84113374A patent/EP0145930B1/en not_active Expired
- 1984-11-07 JP JP59233383A patent/JPS60161510A/en active Pending
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE3340178C1 (en) | 1985-05-15 |
| EP0145930A1 (en) | 1985-06-26 |
| ATE32382T1 (en) | 1988-02-15 |
| EP0145930B1 (en) | 1988-02-03 |
| JPS60161510A (en) | 1985-08-23 |
| DE3469227D1 (en) | 1988-03-10 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |