JPH0614088B2 - Connector inspection method - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for inspecting a connector, and more particularly to a method for inspecting a contact of a connector to be inspected for continuity and a short circuit between the contacts.

"Prior Art" In general, a connector 1 to be inspected has contacts 3 _{1 to} 3 _n arranged and held in an insulator 2 in parallel with each other as shown in FIG. The contacts may be arranged in a single layer as shown in FIG. 6, but are generally arranged in multiple layers and are arranged in a matrix when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the contacts. When the connector 1 to be inspected is multi-layered, it can be represented as shown in FIG. 6 by slicing each layer and rearranging each layer into a single layer. One end (P side in the figure) of each contact is the side to be connected to the mating connector, and the other end is the contact terminals 3 _{q1 to} 3 _qn , which are terminals to be connected to the cable or soldered to the board. Is. The contacts 5 _{1 to} 5 _n of the inspection connector 4 are connected to the P ends of the contacts 3 _{1 to} 3 _n , and the contact terminals 5 _{q1 to} 5 _qn are connected to the common power source 7 via the switches 6 _{1 to} 6 _n. Connected to. Contact terminal 3 _q1 ~
3 _qn are connected to a common continuity detector 10 via switches 9 _{1 to} 9 _n , respectively. The switches 6 _{1 to} 6 _n are respectively connected via the drivers 11 _{1 to} 11 _n and the switches 9 _{1 to} 9 _n.
Are controlled by the control circuit 1 via the drivers 12 _{1 to} 12 _n.
Controlled by 3.

That is, first the switch 6 ₁ is turned on, and the switches 9 _{1 to} 9 _n are sequentially turned on during that time. If conduction is detected when the switch 9 ₁ is turned on, the electrical contact of the contact 3 ₁ is normal, and when there is no short circuit when the switches 9 _{2 to} 9 _n are turned on sequentially, the contact 3 ₁ is There is no defect such as contact with other contacts, and it is regarded as normal.
Thereafter, the switches 6 _{2 to} 6 _n are sequentially turned on, the switches 9 _{1 to} 9 _n are sequentially turned on during the on period of each switch, and the same inspection as before is performed. An ammeter, an LED, a buzzer, and other instruments are used as the continuity detector 10.

"INVENTION Problems to be Solved point" in the conventional inspection method, the n driver 11 ₁ for driving the n switches 6 ₁ to 6 _n and those connected to the power supply 7
11 _n is required, and similarly on the side of the continuity detector 10, n switches 9 _{1 to} 9 _n and n drivers 12 _{1 are also provided.}
Since ~ 12 _n is required, there is a problem that the inspection circuit is complicated and expensive.

Also, for each of the switches 6 _{1 to} 6 _n on the power supply side, the switches 9 _{1 to} 9 _n on the continuity detector side are sequentially turned on to conduct electricity.
Since the short circuit is checked, the check is performed n × n times as a whole, and there is a problem that the inspection time increases sharply when the number of contacts n increases.

An object of the present invention is to simplify the inspection circuit to make it economical, and to prevent the inspection time from rapidly increasing even if the number of contacts n increases.

"Means for Solving Problems" Also in the present invention, similarly to the conventional case, each contact of the connector for inspection is joined to each contact of the connector for inspection, and the probe is brought into contact with each contact terminal of the connector for inspection. A test voltage is applied between the contact end of the connector for inspection and the probe to inspect the continuity between the corresponding contacts and the short circuit between the contacts of the connector under test.

However, in the present invention, the contacts of the inspection connector are divided into four groups that are not adjacent to each other, and one of the contact terminals of the inspection connector or the probe connected in parallel to the contacts of the same group is connected in parallel. The four parallel connection ends are selected one by one by the first switch group, and the other contact terminal or probe of the inspection connector not connected in parallel is selected one by one by the second switch group. A power source is commonly connected to one of the first switch group or the second switch group, and a continuity detector is commonly connected to the other of the first switch group or the second switch group. Each of the switches in one of the groups is sequentially turned on, and each time one of the switches is turned on, the switch of the other switch group is sequentially turned on, and the above-mentioned conduction and short circuit inspection is performed.

[Examples] As a preparation for explaining the examples, the definitions regarding the adjacent and non-adjacent states of the contacts of the connector will be described. When the contact arrangement of the connector to be inspected is located on the intersection of the square lattice as seen in the longitudinal direction of the contact, as shown in FIG. 2, the contact a in FIG. Are adjacent to each other, and the contacts a and contacts other than the contacts a to i are not adjacent to each other or in a non-adjacent state. When the contact arrangement is located on the intersection of the hexagonal lattice as shown in FIG. 3, the contact a and the contact b around it are shown in FIG.
To m are said to be adjacent to each other, and the contacts a and contacts other than the contacts a to m are not adjacent to each other or in a non-adjacent state.

Here, the distance on the grid is defined as follows. 2 on the grid
The distance between the points is the number of grids on the shortest path connecting the two points along the grid. Using this definition, a contact and an adjacent contact are either (a) a contact whose distance on the grid is 1 or (b) a contact whose distance on the grid is 2 and which contact It can be said that the contact is not on a straight line on the grid.

By the way, when the contacts in non-adjacent states are collected to form one group, all the contacts can be divided into at most four groups. When the contacts are arranged on the intersections of the square lattice, the contacts in the first row are connected to one side from one side as shown in FIG. 4, for example.
One placed a _1, a _2, with a ... and sign, in contact with the first and second rows, as shown four adjacent loop figure in order to a ₁ starting b _1, c _The symbols are assigned as b ₂ , c ₂ , d ₂ ; ... Starting from ₁ , d ₁ ; a ₂ . Similarly, the contacts in the following rows are given different reference numerals. Collect contacts with a to make a group, and similarly b, c
And d groups are formed, each group becomes a set of contacts in a non-adjacent state. Even when the contacts are arranged on the intersections of the hexagonal lattice, they can be divided into four groups in the same manner as described above, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, if the row and column numbers are defined and the intersection of the i-th row and the j-th column is represented by (i, j) (where i and j are positive integers), a group Is a set of contacts existing at the intersection (i, j) when i = odd and j = odd, and the b group has an intersection (i, j) when i = odd and j = even.
j) is a set of contacts, the c group is a set of contacts existing at an intersection (i, j) when i = even, j = even, and the d group is i = even, j = odd Intersection of cases (i,
It is a set of contacts existing in j). Therefore, these four groups are uniquely defined. However, the numbering of contacts within each group is arbitrary, and
FIG. 5 and FIG. 5 are merely examples.

Regarding the contacts, contact terminals, and probes of the connector for inspection, the definition of adjacent and non-adjacent, grouping, etc. shall be performed according to the contact of the connector for inspection connected to them as necessary.

Next, let's consider how to reduce the number of checks for contact continuity and short circuits. It is necessary to perform all the contact continuity checks (more accurately, the continuity check between the contacts of the connector under test and the contacts of the corresponding connector for inspection), but the short circuit check between the contacts of the connector under test must be performed for all combinations. Will not be. Statistically speaking, it is no exaggeration to say that short-circuiting occurs almost always between adjacent contacts, and even if there is a short-circuit between non-adjacent contacts, it is Most of them occur subsequently, and a defective short-circuit connector can be found by checking a short-circuit between adjacent parts. In the present invention, in order to shorten the inspection time, the short-circuit check between contacts (all in non-adjacent state) in the same group is omitted. FIG. 1 is a wiring diagram of an inspection circuit for showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which parts corresponding to those in FIG.
Part of the duplicate description is omitted. As described above, the contact 3 of the connector to be inspected and the contact terminal 5 of the connector for inspection
4 of a, b, c, d consisting of q that are not adjacent to each other
The contact 3 and the contact terminal 5q of each group are divided into groups, and the symbols are attached as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. For clarity, the multilayer connector is shown in plan (single layer) in FIG. Inspection connector 4
The same applies to the contact 5 and the probe 8.

The contact terminals 5q of the inspection connector 4 are connected in parallel for each of the groups a to d, and are connected to a common power source 7 via the switches 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d forming the first switch group. . A probe 8μ (μ = 1 to n) is brought into contact with each contact terminal 3q of the connector 1 to be inspected, and each probe 8μ is connected to a common continuity detector 10 via a switch 9μ constituting a second switch group.

The switch 6a of the first switch group is turned on, and the switch 9μ of the second switch group is sequentially turned on over μ = 1 to n. Connector a of the connector 1 under test 3-
Continuity of the contact is inspected at the time when the switch 9μ corresponding to a ₁ , 3-a ₂ , ... Is turned on, and at the time when the other switch 9μ is turned on, the contact of the group a adjacent to the other group. Shorts with contacts are checked. Thereafter, the same check is performed every time the switches 6b, 6c and 6d are turned on. (Thus, the first switch groups 6a to 6d can be said to be switches that select each group.) In the above, the total number of conduction and short-circuit checks performed by turning on one of the switches 9μ is 4 × n.

Modified Example In the above description, a is maintained during the period when the switch 6a is on.
Since the short circuit between the contact of the group and the contact of the other adjacent group is checked, the contact between the contact of the b group and the contact of the adjacent a group is next checked during the period when the switch 6b is turned on. Since shorts have already been checked, omit them and check for shorts with contacts in groups c and d. Further, during the period when the switch 6c is turned on, the short-circuit between the contact of the c group and the contacts of the adjacent a and b groups has already been checked. . During the period when the switch 6d is turned on, all the short circuits between the contacts of the d group and the contacts of the other groups adjacent thereto have already been made, so they may be omitted. (In the above, the switches 6b, 6
Needless to say, the continuity check is performed for each contact of the selected group by turning on c and 6d, and these are not omitted. In this way, the number of checks for continuity and short circuit can be made smaller than 4n times, for example, about 2.5 × n times.

In the above description, the power supply 7 is connected to the inspection connector side and the continuity detector 10 is connected to the probe 8 side.
It is obvious that the and the continuity detector 10 may be exchanged and connected. Further, although the contact terminals 5q of the inspection connector 4 are grouped in the above description, it will be apparent that the probes 8 may be grouped similarly instead. In either case, the total number of switches 6 and 9 connected to the power supply 7 and the continuity detector 10 (the same applies to the total number of drivers 11 and 12 that drive these switches) is n + 4.

In the above description, each switch of the first switch group for selecting a group is sequentially turned on, and each time one of the switches is turned on, the switch of the second switch group is sequentially turned on, and inspection is performed. The present invention is not limited to this example, and it is apparent that the switches of the first switch group may be sequentially turned on every time the second switch group is turned on and one of them is turned on.

The relationship between adjacent and non-adjacent contacts is defined as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, but in the case of a special connector in which the short circuit check between contacts in the same group cannot be omitted by this definition, For example, expanding the adjacent area to include all contacts with a distance of 2 on the grid,
Alternatively, the same problem can be dealt with by increasing the number of groups to be divided by setting the distance on the grid to 3 or less.

[Advantages of the Invention] According to the present invention, the contacts of the connector to be inspected are divided into a plurality of groups that are not adjacent to each other, and the short-circuit check between the contacts in each group is omitted. The total number of switches connected to the detector and the total number of drivers for driving these switches can be suppressed to, for example, 4 + n (n is the number of contacts) at most, and can be significantly reduced compared to the conventional 2n. The inspection circuit can be simplified and can be made economical.

Similarly, the total number of checks for contact continuity and short circuit can be reduced to, for example, 4 × n or less, which can be significantly reduced as compared with the conventional n × n, and n can be increased. However, the inspection time does not sharply increase as in the conventional case.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a wiring diagram of a connector inspection circuit for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 show contacts of a connector to be inspected arranged on intersections of a square lattice and a hexagonal lattice, respectively. 4 and 5 for explaining the contacts in the adjacent state or the non-adjacent state to each other, the contacts of the connector to be inspected are arranged on the intersection points of the square lattice or the hexagonal lattice, respectively. FIG. 6 shows an example in which the contacts are divided into four groups a to d which are not adjacent to each other and different symbols are given to the contacts, and FIG. 6 is a connector inspection circuit for explaining a conventional connector inspection method. It is a connection diagram.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The contacts of a connector to be inspected are arranged in a matrix (matrix) when viewed from the longitudinal direction, and each contact of the connector for inspection is joined to each contact, and to each contact terminal of the connector to be inspected. A connector inspection method in which a probe is contacted and a test voltage is applied between the contact terminal of the inspection connector and the probe to inspect continuity between the corresponding contacts and a short circuit between the contacts of the inspected connector. In the above, the i-th row and the j-th column of the inspected connector (i and j are positive integers)
C _ij is the contact corresponding to the matrix element of i, i = odd, j = odd contact set is the first group, i = odd, j = even contact set is the second group, i = even, j = A set of even contacts is a third group, a set of i = even and j = odd contacts is a fourth group, and each of the groups is connected to a contact of the same group, or the contact terminals of the inspection connector or the above. A first switch group in which one of the probes is connected in parallel and the four parallel connection ends are selected one by one, and a contact terminal of the inspection connector not connected in parallel or the other of the probes is selected one by one A switch group, a power source is commonly connected to one of the first switch group and the second switch group, and the other of the first switch group and the second switch group. One of the first switch group and the second switch group is sequentially turned on, and each time one of them is turned on, the switch of the other switch group is sequentially turned on. A method for inspecting a connector, which comprises: