JPH09203766A - Ic testing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent damaging a Zif (zero insertion force) type connector when a performance board is to be mounted. SOLUTION: The part to be fitted 26 of a Zif type connector 35 is installed on a performace board 27 while the detention part 24 of the connector 35 is installed on a test head 21. When the peformance board 27 is to be mounted on the test head 21 on the side with the board 27, the contacting with the connector detention part 24 is produced for guidance of the board 27 before the part to be fitted 26 contacts with the detention part 24 and the part to be fitted 26 is correctly engaged by the detention part 24 with the aid of a connector guide 30.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an IC tester for electrically connecting a performance board and a test head using a Zif type connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 5, a performance board 2 having an IC 1 to be measured is set on a test head 3 for evaluating the IC 1 to be measured, and a signal required for a test is measured from the test head 3. It is designed to be transmitted to IC1. The electrical connection between the performance board 2 and the test head 3 is incorporated into the terminals of the performance board 2 and the test head 3 side when the performance board 2 is engaged with the pin 4 and mounted at a predetermined position on the test head 3. This is done by connecting the terminals of the large number of daughter boards 5 with each other by the Zif type connectors 6.

The Zif type connector 6 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the connector engaged portion 7 and the connector engaging portion 8 that engages with the connector engaged portion 7 are engaged with each other, and then the lever 9 provided on the connector engaging portion 8 side is operated. As a result, the male pins 10 of the connector engaging portion 8 are simultaneously raised to be engaged with the female pin 11 of the connector engaged portion 7, and the pressure contact force such as the pogo pin, which has been widely used in the past, is unnecessary. , Literally a connector with zero insertion force. According to this, even if the number of electrical connection terminals is increased, it is extremely easy to mount the performance board 2 on the test head 3, and it is not necessary to reinforce the performance board 2 and the daughter board 5.

By the way, in order to mount the performance board 2 on the test head 3, the performance board 2 is usually lifted by a human force, and the pin holes 12 of the performance board 2 are engaged with the engagement pins 4 of the test head 3. After performing the alignment to some extent, the performance board 2 was placed on the test head 3 by loosening the force or releasing the hand and dropping the performance board 2 by its own weight.

The Zif type connector 6 is generally required to have highly accurate alignment (for example, ± 0.5 mm or less). Therefore, at the position where the performance board 2 is dropped, Z
If the if connectors 6 are not accurately aligned with each other, the impact due to the drop force is directly applied to the Zif type connector 6, and the Zif type connector 6 is made of a synthetic resin housing 1.
This is a cause of damage to the pins 3 and 14 and the pins 10 and 11 (see FIG. 6).

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the conventional Zif
The shape connectors 19 and 20 are the Zif type connectors 19 and 2.
0 itself has a guide pin 15 and a guide hole 1 engaged with the guide pin 15.
6 is provided (FIG. 7 (a)), the guide protrusion 17 and
A guide groove 18 that engages with the guide groove 18 is provided (see FIG. 7).
There are many (b)), and these guides are used for the connector 1
It was designed to guide and fit 9 and 20 together.

[0007]

However, the above-mentioned conventional guide pin 15 and guide hole 16 or the guide projection 1 is used.
Since the 7 and the guide groove 18 are provided directly on the Zif-type connectors 19 and 20 themselves, they often do not function sufficiently until the connectors 19 and 20 contact each other.
In fact, since the guide function is exerted at the same time when the connectors 19 and 20 come into contact with each other, the connector housings 13 and 14 shown in FIG. 6 are often damaged even if the Zif-type connectors 19 and 20 are provided with guides. .

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and to provide an IC test apparatus which prevents damage to the Zif type connector when the performance board is mounted.

[0009]

A first aspect of the present invention is to measure I to be measured.
An IC tester that electrically connects a performance board equipped with C and a test head for testing an IC under test via the performance board with a zero insertion force type connector (hereinafter referred to as a Zif type connector). One of the test head and the test head is provided with the engaged portion of the Zif-type connector, and the other is provided with the engaging portion of the Zif-type connector that engages with the engaged portion. Before mounting the Zif type connector engaged portion or the Zif type connector engaged portion of the performance board on the test head before contacting the Zif type connector engaged portion or the Zif type connector engaged portion of the test head. , Zif type connector engaging portion or Zif type connector of the test head The performance board is guided by coming into contact with the engaged portion, and the Zif type connector engaged portion or the Zif type engaged portion of the performance board is connected to the Zif type connector engaging portion or the Zif type connector engaged portion of the test head. Is attached with a connector guide that is properly engaged with.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the connector guide is provided not on the performance board side but on the test head side.

In the above invention, when the performance board is mounted on the test head, the Zif type connector engaged portion or the Zif type connector engaging portion of the performance board and the Zif type connector engaging portion or Z of the test head are mounted.
Prior to contact with the engaged portion of the if connector, the connector guide provided on the performance board or the test head is connected to the Zif connector engagement portion or Zi of the test head.
The f-type connector engaged portion or the Zif-type connector engaged portion or the Zif-type connector engaging portion of the performance board comes into contact. Since the performance board is positioned with respect to the test head by the contact of the connector guide, the Zif type connector engaging portion or Z of the test head is positioned.
Zi of if-connector engaged part and performance board
The f-type connector engaged portion or the Zif-type connector engaging portion is closely engaged. Therefore, the Zif-type connector is prevented from being broken due to the discrepancy caused by the displacement.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first and second aspects, the connector guide is a Zif type connector engaging portion or a Zif type connector provided on the performance board or the test head side to which the connector guide is attached. A guide body that is taller than the engaging portion, a U-shaped groove for accommodating the end of the Zif-type connector engaged portion or the Zif-type connector engaging portion, and a top surface of the guide body, A Zif-type connector engaged portion and a Zif-type connector engaging portion provided on a performance board and a test head, respectively, provided with taper surfaces formed on the three sides surrounding the U-shaped groove so as to be inclined toward the groove side to be low. Before contact with
The Zif-type connector engaging portion or the Zif-type connector engaged portion provided on the test head or performance board to which the connector guide is not attached is brought into contact with the tapered surface of the connector guide, and the Zif is formed along the tapered surface. The Zif-type connector engaging portion or the Zif-type connector engaged portion is relatively moved to move the performance board, and the Zif-type connector engaging portion or the Zif-type connector engaged portion of the test head is moved to the Zif-type connector engaged portion of the performance board. The engagement portion or the Zif type connector engagement portion is properly engaged.

Since the taper surfaces are provided on the three sides of the U-shaped groove of the connector guide, the Zif type connector engaged portion and the Z-shaped connector are mounted when the performance board is mounted on the test head.
It is possible to correct the front / rear and left / right deviations from the if-connector engaging portion.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view showing the left half of a performance board and a test head before mounting, which constitute the IC test apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the IC test apparatus, in which (a) is the back surface of the performance board. Figure, (b)
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a test head.

In FIG. 1, a large number of daughter boards 22 are arranged in parallel on a test head 21, and a power source for a sample applied to an IC 23 to be measured, a timing generator output, a pattern generator output section, and a device output are measured on the test head 21. The input section for taking in is incorporated, and the IC 23 to be measured is evaluated. The engagement portion 24 of the Zif type connector 35 is attached to the daughter board 22 incorporated in the test head 21. At both ends of the Zif type connector engaging portion 24, there are guide projections 36 having tapered surfaces on all sides.
Is provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the Zif-type connector engaging portion 24 is arranged on the test head 21 so as to be divided into left and right parts in accordance with the arrangement of the daughter board 22. A plurality of guide pins 25 are provided on the test head 21.

On the test head 21 to which the engaging portion 24 of the Zif-type connector 35 is attached, the engaged portion 26 of the Zif-type connector 35 that engages with the Zif-type connector engaging portion 24 is provided on the back surface, and the front surface A performance board 27 on which the IC to be measured 23 is mounted is mounted on. At both ends of the Zif type connector engaged portion 26, the Zif type connector engaging portion 2 is provided.
A guide groove 34 having a tapered surface that engages with the guide protrusion 36 of No. 4 is provided.

The performance board 27 is interposed between the test head 21 and the device under test 23 and transmits a signal necessary for the test. Engagement part 26 of Zif type connector 35
At the position on the performance board 27 corresponding to the Zif-type connector engaging portion 24 of the test head 21, left and right 2
They are arranged in a divided form (FIG. 2 (a)). The performance board 27 has a pin hole 28 provided in it.
By engaging a plurality of guide pins 25 provided on the test head 21, the performance board 27 is mounted at a predetermined position on the test head 21. The mounting at the predetermined position by the pin engagement is not sufficient until the Zif type connector engaging portion 24 and the Zif type connector engaged portion 26 are accurately fitted.

Also, the engaged portion 2 of the Zif type connector 35.
6 is divided into two parts on the left and right, and the Z of the performance board 27 is placed at the middle position of the performance board 27.
The if connector engaged portion 26 is connected to the Zi of the test head 21.
A connector guide 30 for properly engaging the f-type connector engaging portion 24 is provided. This connector guide 30
When the performance board 27 is mounted on the test head 21, before the Zif-type connector engaged portion 26 of the performance board 27 comes into contact with the Zif-type connector engaging portion 24 of the test head 21, Z
The performance board 27 is guided by being brought into contact with the if connector engaging portion 24 so that the Zif connector engaging portion 24 and the Zif connector engaged portion 26 can be fitted exactly.

In the illustrated example, the connector guide 30 is attached to the center of the performance board 27 because it uses an empty space. However, it is not limited to this, and the connector guide 30 can be attached to the left and right positions. I do not care.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the essential parts of the connector guide 30. It should be noted that in the figure, for convenience, the upper and lower sides are reversed. The connector guide 30 has a block-shaped guide main body 31 provided along a number of Zif-type connector engaged portions 26 arranged in parallel, and the height of its back is the housing of the Zif-type connector engaged portions 26. Formed higher than the height of the connector 38, and before the Zif-type connector engaged portion 26 of the performance board comes into contact with the guide protrusion 36 of the Zif-type connector engaging portion 24 of the test head, the connector guide 30
Are in contact with the Zif type connector engaging portion 24 of the test head.

Grooves 39 cut in a U shape are formed on both side surfaces of the guide body 31, and the U-shaped grooves 39 are formed in the grooves 39.
Zif type connector engaged part 26 of performance board
The end of is housed.

On the top surface of the guide body 31 and on three sides surrounding the U-shaped groove 39, there is formed a tapered surface 32 which is inclined toward the groove 39 side, and the tapered surface 32 forms the Z of the test head.
When the if-type connector engaging portion 24 hits, the performance board moves with respect to the fixed test head, and the position of the Zif-type connector engaged portion 26 of the performance board and the Zif-type connector engaging portion 24 of the test head. , The Zif-type connector engaged portion 26 of the performance board fits snugly with the Zif-type connector engaging portion 24 of the test head.

FIG. 4 illustrates this fitting process.
When mounting the performance board 27 on the test head 21, the Zif-type connector engaging portion 24 and the Zi
When the engaged portion 26 of the f-type connector is displaced (a),
Since the height of the back of the connector guide portion 30 is formed higher than the height of the housing 38 of the Zif-type connector engaged portion 26, the guide protrusion 36 of the Zif-type connector engaging portion 24 is engaged with the Zif-type connector engaged portion. Prior to contacting the portion 26, the tapered surface 32 of the guide body 31 is contacted. By this contact, the guide protrusion 36 slides relative to the tapered surface 32 to guide the performance board 27 (b). Therefore, the guide body 31 moves in the direction of the arrow together with the Zif-type connector engaged portion 26, so that the Zif-type connector engaging portion 24 slides into the Zif-type connector engaged portion 26, and the two fit tightly together (c ). In order to make this fitting more optimal, the tapered surface of the guide groove 34 provided in the Zif type connector engaged portion 26 is provided on the extension surface L of the tapered surface 32 provided in the guide body 31. It is preferable to come.

Since the taper surfaces 32 are provided on the three sides of the groove 39, it is possible to correct the displacement of the Zif-type connector engaged portion 26 with respect to the Zif-type connector engaging portion 24 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

In this way, the connector guide 30 allows Zi
f-type connector engaging portion 24 and Zif-type connector engaged portion 2
Before the Zif type connector engaging portion 24 and Z
Since it is possible to correct the positional deviation with the if-connector engaged portion 26, it is possible to effectively prevent the damage of the housing 38 and the pins of the Zif-type connector.

Although the connector guide 30 is provided on the performance board side in the above-described embodiment, it may be provided on the test head side. Further, the Zif type connector engaged portion is provided on the performance board side and the Zif type connector engaged portion is provided on the test head side.
The if-connector engaging portions may be provided on the performance board side.

[0027]

According to the present invention, the Zif type connector engaging portion and the engaged portion are connected to the performance board or the test head prior to the contact between the engaging portion and the engaged portion of the Zif type connector. Since a connector guide for aligning is installed, when mounting the performance board on the test head,
It is possible to effectively prevent damage to the Zif type connector.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view showing a left half of a performance board and a test head according to an embodiment of an IC test apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a back view of a performance board and a plan view of a test head according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a connector guide according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a fitting process of the Zif-type connector engaged portion and the Zif-type connector engaging portion according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional test head and performance board.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of an example of a Zif type connector.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of mounting a test head and a performance board using a conventional Zif type.

[Explanation of symbols]

 21 Test Head 23 IC to be Measured 24 Zif Type Connector Engagement Part 26 Zif Type Connector Engagement Part 27 Performance Board 35 Zif Connector

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A zero insertion force type connector (hereinafter referred to as a Zif type connector) is used to electrically connect a performance board having an IC to be measured and a test head for testing the IC to be measured via the performance board. In the IC test apparatus, one of the performance board and the test head is provided with an engaged portion of the Zif-type connector, and the other is provided with an engaging portion of the Zif-type connector that engages with the engaged portion. On the performance board side, when mounting the performance board on the test head, Z of the performance board
The if connector engaged portion or the Zif connector engaging portion is the Zif connector engaging portion or the Zi of the test head.
Before contacting the f-type connector engaged portion, the performance board is guided by contacting the Zif-type connector engaged portion of the test head or the Zif-type connector engaged portion, and the Zif-type connector engaged portion of the performance board is guided. Connect the engaging part or the Zif type connector engaging part to the Z of the test head.
An IC test apparatus, wherein a connector guide for correctly engaging the if connector engaging portion or the Zif connector engaged portion is attached. 2. A performance board and a test head in an IC test device for electrically connecting a performance board having an IC to be measured and a test head for testing the IC to be measured via the performance board with a Zif type connector. The engaged part of the Zif-type connector is provided on one of the above, and the engaging part of the Zif-type connector that engages with the engaged part is provided on the other side, and the performance board is used as the test head on the test head side. At the time of mounting, before the Zif-type connector engaging portion or the Zif-type connector engaged portion of the test head comes into contact with the Zif-type connector engaged portion or the Zif-type connector engaging portion of the performance board, By contacting the Zif type connector engaged part or the Zif type connector engaging part It led to the performance board of the test head Zif-shaped connector engagement portion or Zi
The f-type connector engaged part is Zif of the performance board
An IC testing apparatus, wherein a connector guide for correctly engaging the engaged portion of the type connector or the engaged portion of the Zif type connector is attached. 3. The guide body, wherein the connector guide is a performance board to which the connector guide is attached, or a guide body that is taller than a Zif type connector engaged portion or a Zif type connector engaging portion provided on a test head side, A groove having a U-shaped cross-section for accommodating the Zif-type connector engaged portion or the end of the Zif-type connector engaging portion, and the lower side on the groove side at the top surface of the guide body and surrounding the U-shaped groove. The taper surface is formed so as to be inclined, and the connector guide is attached before the Zif-type connector engaged portion and the Zif-type connector engaging portion provided on the performance board and the test head respectively come into contact with each other. Attach the Zif type connector engaging part or the Zif type connector engaged part provided on the test head or performance board on the other side of the connector guide Expose to tapered surface, moving the performance board by along the tapered surface relatively moving the Zif-shaped connector engagement portion or Zif-connector engaged portion, the test head Z
3. The IC test according to claim 1, wherein the if-type connector engaging portion or the Zif-type connector engaged portion is properly engaged with the Zif-type connector engaged portion or the Zif-type connector engaging portion of the performance board. apparatus.