RU215461U1 - PCB TESTING DEVICE - Google Patents

Abstract

The present technical solution, in general, relates to the field of measuring and testing technology, and in particular to a device for collecting data on testing printed circuit boards. The technical result achieved by the implementation of this solution is to reduce the time to collect testing data. A device for collecting data on testing printed circuit boards, containing a housing including a lodgement with an area for placing a printed circuit board; the first matrix of contacts with electrically conductive spring-loaded contacts placed on it, located under the cradle, guide pins; a pressure plate, on which the second matrix of contacts is located with electrically conductive spring-loaded contacts placed on it, an interface block for connecting measuring equipment; switching unit; pressure plate control unit.

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[1] This technical solution, in general, relates to the field of measuring and testing technology, and in particular to a device for collecting data on testing printed circuit boards.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[2] Currently, printed circuit boards are an integral part of modern society and represent the basis of any electronic product, being part of computers, cell phones, household appliances, etc. So, in the process of development and production of electronic devices, a mandatory step is testing a large number of printed circuit boards, which is a complex and non-trivial task.

[3] For small scale honorary board tests, the testing process can be done manually. With the manual method of testing, the operator sequentially tests all circuits with probes. However, such testing is not only labor-intensive, but also takes a lot of time, and also has low efficiency and accuracy due to the human factor.

[4] Also, PCB adapter testers are also known from the prior art. For example, a solution is known, disclosed in the patent of the Russian Federation No. RU 2256187 C1 (Open Joint Stock Company Plant "Red Banner"), publ. 07/10/2005. This solution provides automated control of the printed circuit board using an adapter with electrical contacts.

[5] The disadvantages of this solution are the low performance of the testing data collection process due to the long data collection process (due to the characteristics of the adapter), low device versatility, and low testing accuracy.

[6] The common disadvantages of existing solutions in this field of technology is the lack of a device for efficient collection of PCB test data in an automated mode, providing high performance while maintaining high testing accuracy. In addition, such a device must also be versatile and safe.

ESSENCE OF THE TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[7] This technical solution is aimed at eliminating the shortcomings inherent in existing solutions known from the prior art.

[8] The claimed solution allows solving a technical problem in terms of creating a new and efficient device for collecting data on testing printed circuit boards.

[9] The technical result is to reduce the time to collect testing data.

[10] Also, due to the creation of the claimed device, the arsenal of technical means for collecting data on testing printed circuit boards is expanding.

[11] The claimed technical results are achieved through the implementation of a device for collecting data on testing printed circuit boards, containing a package that includes

lodgement with an area for placing a printed circuit board; about the first matrix of contacts with electrically conductive spring-loaded contacts placed on it, located under the lodgement, made with the possibility of contacting with the bottom side of the printed circuit board;

guide pins;

a pressure plate, movable along the guide pins, on which is located the second matrix of contacts placed on it with electrically conductive spring-loaded contacts, made with the possibility of contacting the upper side of the printed circuit board;

block of interfaces for connecting measuring equipment;

a switching unit configured to switch measuring devices with spring-loaded electrically conductive contacts;

a pressure plate control unit configured to move the pressure plate.

[12] In one particular implementation of the device, electrically conductive spring-loaded contacts on the pressure plate are located through spacers.

[13] In another particular embodiment, the spacer devices are PTFE cylinders.

[14] In another particular embodiment of the device, the pressure plate control unit contains two buttons.

[15] In another particular embodiment of the device, pressing two buttons moves the pressure plate.

[16] In another particular embodiment of the device, the cradle with an area for placing a printed circuit board is a cradle with milling for a printed circuit board

[17] In another particular implementation of the device contains four guide pins.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[18] The features and advantages of the present technical solution will become apparent from the following detailed description of the technical solution and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[19] FIG. 1 illustrates a general view of a device for collecting PCB test data.

[20] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of an apparatus for collecting PCB test data.

[21] FIG. 3 illustrates a rear view of a device for collecting PCB test data.

IMPLEMENTATION OF UTILITY MODEL

[22] The claimed technical solution discloses a new and efficient automated PCB test data acquisition device. This device reduces the time required to collect test data while maintaining high accuracy in the collection of said data. In addition, the claimed technical solution is versatile and safe to use due to the design features, which are described below.

[23] In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments of the claimed technical solution. However, one skilled in the art will appreciate that various embodiments of the present technical solution may be practiced without some of these specific details. The following description provides only exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope or applicability of the disclosure. Also, it should be appreciated that the elements of the claimed solution may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific details set forth herein.

[24] FIG. 1 shows an example implementation of a device for collecting data on testing printed circuit boards 100. The device 100 includes a housing 110, inside which are located: a lodgement 120, the first matrix of contacts 130; pressure plate 140, guide pins 150, second contact matrix 160, control element 170, interface unit (not shown), switching unit (not shown), pressure plate control unit (not shown).

[25] The elements of the inventive device 100 are fixed between themselves and the supporting structural elements, using a wide range of assembly operations, for example, screwing, jointing, soldering, riveting, etc., depending on the most suitable method of fastening the elements.

[26] The collection of printed circuit board test data in this solution refers to the collection of electrical data as a result of contact of the elements of the claimed device with a printed circuit board. Thus, electrical data may include data on the presence of breaks and short circuits on the printed circuit board, voltage / current values, frequencies, waveforms at the control points of the printed circuit board, signals coming from data exchange interfaces located on the printed circuit board, etc. without being limited.

[27] The ability to transmit data over the network, in this solution, means the presence in the device of a transceiver configured to transmit data to a remote device using communication interfaces, for example, at least one of the following methods: near field communications (NFC), Bluetooth, Ethernet card, GSM modem, GPRS modem, LTE modem, 5G modem, satellite communication module, etc. not limited.

[28] The housing 110 is a structure within which the elements of the claimed device 100 are located. The specified housing 110 is made of durable materials, such as metal, carbon fiber, carbon fiber, etc. The central part of the housing 110 has an area for the possibility of installing a printed circuit board. In one particular embodiment, the housing 110 is movable. The ability to move the body 110 can be achieved by equipping said body 110 with wheels.

[29] For a person skilled in the art it will be obvious that the specified housing 110 can be made and/or can contain any material listed above, and equivalent in strength material.

[30] An interface panel is located at the rear of the housing, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, interface panel 180. Said interface panel 180 is connectors for connecting measuring equipment. In addition, this part of the housing also contains a connector for connecting a power supply, for example, connector 190, which can be, for example, a 3-pin power connector, a USB port, etc. Thus, in one particular embodiment, the interface panel 180 represents ports for connecting a network cable and various measuring equipment. It is worth noting that the measuring equipment is selected individually depending on the parameters that need to be tested, as well as on the type of PCB being tested. So, to perform functional control of a printed circuit board, the following equipment can be connected: source meters, digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, etc. The interface panel 180 provides switching of external devices with the motherboard of the device 100, including network switching. As mentioned above, the ability to transfer data over a network, for example, through wired switching, can be provided by the presence of a network card in the device 100.

[31] In addition, the housing 100 may also house and/or be connected (via an interface panel) a power supply 190 (FIG. 3). The power supply 190 is designed to supply electrical power to all electronic elements of the device 100. Thus, the source 190 can be electrically connected (for example, by a data bus) to the pressure plate control unit, the switching unit and is configured to transfer power to these elements. In one particular embodiment, the device 100 can be powered via a PoE (Power over Ethernet) splitter that separates the data link from the power link.

[32] Also, in the housing 110 is a switching unit configured to switch the measuring equipment connected through the interface panel 180, with spring-loaded electrical contacts. The switching unit may be connected to the interface panel 180 and matrices 130 and 160, for example, via a data bus. The switching unit may be, for example, a programmer, an interface converter, a control controller, etc., associated with the matrix of contacts 130 and 160. The switching unit is configured to receive electronic signals from the measuring probes at the moment of contact with the control points of the printed circuit board and transmit the indicated signals to connectors for measuring equipment. So, in one particular embodiment, the transmission of the collected electrical signals can be carried out through the connector of the interface panel 180, for example, through the RJ-45 connector, etc., without being limited. To organize the operation of the components of the device 100 and organize the operation of external connected devices in the switching unit, various types of input / output interfaces can be used. The choice of appropriate interfaces depends on the specific design of the switching unit, and can be, but are not limited to: PCI, AGP, PS/2, IrDa, FireWire, LPT, COM, SATA, IDE, Lightning, USB (2.0, 3.0, 3.1, micro, mini, type C), TRS/Audio jack (2.5, 3.5, 6.35), HDMI, DVI, VGA, Display Port, RJ45, RS232, etc. For a person skilled in the art, it is obvious that, depending on the interfaces used and supported for interacting with external devices (PC, measuring equipment, etc.), corresponding connectors are placed on the panel 180.

[33] So, in another particular embodiment of the claimed technical solution, the switching unit may include a processor, RAM and ROM. Thus, the processor (or multiple processors, controller, microcontroller) may be, for example, a processor from Intel™, AMD™, Apple™, Samsung Exynos™, MediaTEK™, Qualcomm Snapdragon™, and the like. Under the processor, you also need to take into account the graphics processor, for example, an NVIDIA or ATI GPU. In this case, the memory means can be the available memory of the graphics card or graphics processor. RAM is a random access memory and is designed to store machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to perform the necessary operations of computational operations (support for interaction interfaces). ROM is one or more permanent storage devices such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), flash memory (EEPROM, NAND, etc.), optical storage media (CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, BlueRay Disc, MD), etc.

[34] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the claimed device 100. On the front of the housing 110 are pressure plate controls, such as controls 170. These elements are part of the pressure plate control unit. Lowering/raising the pressure plate is activated only when the specified elements 170 are closed simultaneously. This measure is necessary to protect the operator from unintentional injury. In one particular embodiment, the controls 170 are two buttons that, when pressed simultaneously, the pressure plate control unit moves the pressure plate 140. Thus, the buttons are separated from each other at such a distance that they can be pressed with only two hands.

[35] Cage 120 is designed to receive a printed circuit board in device 100. In one particular embodiment, the circuit board placement area on cage 120 is a PCB milled cage. So, in another particular embodiment, the lodgement can be made in the form of a substrate, a stand for fixing a printed circuit board, etc., without being limited. As a material from which the lodgement can be made, for example, metal, carbon, plastic, carbon fiber, etc. can be selected. The cradle 120 provides a secure fixation of the printed circuit board, which prevents its displacement during the process of collecting electrical test data. It is worth noting that the shape and size of the cradle 120, on which the printed circuit board is located, can be changed depending on the size of the printed circuit board and their number. So, in another particular embodiment, the walls of the lodgement 120 can move, for example, along the guides located in the housing (for example, by milling).

[36] At the bottom of the cradle 120 are through holes. The specified holes are for connecting spring-loaded contacts, which are connected to test points and component leads on the PCB through the specified holes. Holes in the cradle can be made, for example, by drilling and/or at the factory with special equipment.

[37] So, under the cradle 120 is the first matrix of contacts 130. The specified matrix is located in the lower part of the housing. Matrix 130 is a set of fixed spring-loaded electrical contacts. Thus, in one particular embodiment, matrix 130 is a bed-of-nails matrix. The principle of collecting test data by said matrix 130 is that during testing, all spring-loaded electrical contacts are in contact with the test points of the printed circuit board. At the moment of contact, the circuit is closed, and the signal about the presence / absence of current / voltage on a certain contact is transmitted to the switching unit. So, in one particular embodiment, the matrix 130 is made in a removable form factor. The matrix 130 can be fastened using, for example, factory latches on the case 110. Depending on the type and size of the board under test, as well as the location of the conductive tracks on the board, the location of the "bed of nails" will be different, since the test points for each board are different. location and functionality. To adapt the spring-loaded electrical contacts for a particular type of printed circuit board, customization of the specified matrix 130 can be performed. In another particular embodiment, the adaptation of the matrix 130 is performed directly in the device 100 case. All spring-loaded contacts of the matrix 130 are connected to the switching unit, for example, by a wired connection method. So, in one particular embodiment, each contact of the matrix 130 is connected by its own wire to the switching unit.

[38] Above the cradle 120, in the upper part of the housing 110 is the pressure plate 140.

[39] The pressure plate 140 is a pneumatic clamp that connects the printed circuit boards under test to the measuring equipment. Pneumatic clamp is a horizontal plate located on the guide pins 150. The specified plate is parallel to the lodgement 120. The clamp is carried out using a pneumatic cylinder. Thus, when a control signal is applied to the pressure plate control unit, for example by means of controls, said control unit actuates a pneumatic cylinder which lowers the plate onto the printed circuit board. The pneumatic cylinder rod is connected to the pressure plate. A compressor is used to drive the plate. Depending on the implementation of the device 100, the compressor may be located in the housing 110 or connected through the panel 170. In another particular embodiment, the pressure plate 140 may be a mechanical clamp. The mechanical clamp is a manual mechanism with a lever; when it is moved “down”, the clamping device is lowered, and when it is moved “up”, it rises.

[40] The connection of the printed circuit boards under test to the measuring equipment during the movement of the plate 140 is carried out through the second matrix 160. The matrix 160 is located on the pressure plate, above the lodgement 120. The specified matrix 160 is a set of fixed spring-loaded electrical contacts. Thus, in one particular embodiment, the matrix 160 is a bed of nails matrix. So, in one particular embodiment, the matrix 160 is made in a removable form factor. Matrix 160 can be fastened by, for example, factory latches on housing 110. In another particular embodiment, adaptation of matrix 160 is performed directly in the device 100 housing. All spring-loaded contacts of matrix 160 are connected to the switching unit, for example, by a wired connection method. So, in one particular embodiment, each contact of the matrix 160 is connected by its own wire to the switching unit.

[41] The pins 150 are cylindrical pieces. The pins 150 are perpendicular to the plane of the printed circuit board. In one particular embodiment, the device 100 includes four guide pins 150 located at the edges of the device. As the material, for example, metal, plastic, plexiglass, etc. can be used, without being limited. These pins eliminate misalignment when the plate 140 is moved, which as a result ensures an accurate process of collecting test data. In addition, in one particular embodiment, the electrically conductive spring contacts 160 are located on the pressure plate via spacers, such as PTFE spacers, etc. These spacers ensure that the contacts of the board are not damaged during pressing.

[42] Now consider the principle of operation of the device 100.

[43] The following will be one of the scenarios for the use of the device 100. The specified scenario is given as an example and should not limit the application of the claimed technical solution.

[44] The device 100 may be located, for example, in a company for the development and production of single products and/or high-volume and multi-product production of printed circuit boards. The device 100 may be supplied as part of a PCB test system. This system for testing printed circuit boards is intended for the full implementation of both functional and parametric tests of the investigated printed circuit board. Among the test parameters, parameters such as current or voltage, short circuit test, etc. can be checked. In addition, said system is configured to functionally control the printed circuit board assembly (with elements). Functional control involves checking the functional elements of the printed circuit board, which includes a number of tests, for example, programming microcircuits using various protocols, checking the operation of interfaces, etc. The test system may include a computer with a display unit, special software, a set of cables for connecting components, and a device 100 for collecting test data.

[45] To begin the testing process, the operator connects the device 100, via an interface panel, such as panel 180, to the rest of the system. In addition, device 100 is also connected to a power source, such as source 190.

[46] Next, the operator installs the circuit board. The printed circuit board is placed in the lodgement 120 in the area of the printed circuit board. As mentioned above, the cradle may be a PCB milled cradle. The shape and dimensions of the cradle can be selected depending on the size and type of printed circuit board. In addition, through holes are located in the lower part of the cradle 120, through which the matrix 130 contacts the printed circuit board. The shape of the lodgment provides a secure fixation of the printed circuit board.

[47] To directly start testing, the operator sends a control signal to the pressure plate control unit 140 to close the spring-loaded contacts with the PCB test points. In statics, the plate 140 is in the upper position, the printed circuit board is on the cradle 120 from below. In dynamics, when you press the controls of the pressure plate control unit, the pressure plate 140 with a matrix 160, on which a certain number of contacts are located, moves down, ensuring that the contacts are evenly pressed against the printed circuit board. In a private implementation, the control signal is applied using the controls located on the housing 110. Thus, the controls may be buttons. The device 100 has two buttons. When they are simultaneously pressed, the pressure plate 140 with the matrix 160, which is rigidly fixed on the specified plate 140, is lowered and there is a uniform contact with the printed circuit board. At the bottom of the movement of the plate, which ensures the contact of the matrix 160 with the printed circuit board, on the guide pins 150 can be installed locking elements. After pressing the printed circuit board with the plate 140, the software starts on the PC where you can set certain settings for the tests specified by the customer. The required types of tests can be recorded in the PC memory and can be carried out automatically, after which the result is displayed on the PC display device - the tests were passed or not, if not, which test was not passed.

[48] It is worth noting that one of the features of this solution is the presence of two matrixes of contacts 130 and 160 (top and bottom), which significantly improves the performance of collecting test data, and reduces testing time. So, some types of boards have conductive tracks on both sides of the specified board. The presence of two matrixes of contacts can significantly reduce the time for collecting electrical signals, because. the specified collection is carried out simultaneously from both sides of the board, which eliminates the need to turn it over. So, the lower matrix 130 contacts the bottom part of the printed circuit board through the holes in the cradle 120, and the upper one, directly at the moment of pressing the plate 140. misalignment when lowering the plate, and displacement of the printed circuit board. So, it is obvious that if during the process of pressing the plate, the specified plate is displaced relative to the printed circuit board, then, as a result, the contacts of the matrix 160 will also be displaced, which will lead to the need to restart the test.

[49] During the tests, electrical signals from the switching unit located inside the housing 110 and connected to the matrices 130 and 160, are fed to the interface panel 180, from where they are further fed to the computer for further processing and conversion. It is worth noting that the collection of test data can be performed in analog form and converted outside the device 100. In another particular embodiment, the switching unit may contain an ADC (a device that converts an analog signal received from spring-loaded contacts into a discrete code that is sent to an external device (PC )). For a person skilled in the art it will be obvious that the ADC can be either built into the switching unit, or be a separate internal element of the device 100.

[50] After the process of processing the received data on an external device, a decision is issued on the test results - the board is good or not. The tests to be carried out are provided by the customer.

[51] The algorithms for controlling the hardware (programs on the computer) are limited only by the choice of tests to be carried out on the printed circuit board - the tests are always different depending on the needs of customers. So, for a person skilled in the art, it is obvious that the specified device 100 involves performing a number of tests without the participation of an operator, for example, four types of printed circuit boards can be located in the lodgement 120, the operator presses the buttons so that the clamping device is attached to the printed circuit board, on a PC the software starts and two tests are selected on one board, four tests on another board, one on board 3, and so on. The number of printed circuit boards to be arranged depends on the shape and size of the cradle 120. As tests to be carried out, for example, the following tests can be carried out: measurement of voltages, frequency, waveforms; programming microcircuits according to protocols (SPI, ISP, JTAG, SWD, etc.); checking the operation of data exchange interfaces (RS-232, RS-485, CAN, LIN, etc.) monitoring indicators at the test object; data integrity control, etc.

[52] Thus, the submissions disclosed an automated PCB test data acquisition device that significantly reduced the time required to collect PCB test data by having two contact arrays, guide pins, and a cradle.

[53] Modifications and improvements to the above described embodiments of the present technical solution will be clear to experts in the art. The previous description is presented only as an example and does not carry any restrictions for the purposes of implementing other private embodiments of the claimed technical solution that does not go beyond the requested scope of legal protection. Structural elements such as microcontrollers, blocks, modules, etc., described above and used in this technical solution, can be implemented using electronic components used to create digital integrated circuits.

Claims (7)

1. A device for collecting data on the testing of printed circuit boards, containing a housing that includes a lodgment with an area for placing a printed circuit board; the first matrix of contacts with electrically conductive spring-loaded contacts placed on it, located under the lodgement, made with the possibility of contacting with the bottom side of the printed circuit board; guide pins; a pressure plate, movable along the guide pins, on which is located the second matrix of contacts placed on it with electrically conductive spring-loaded contacts, made with the possibility of contacting the upper side of the printed circuit board; block of interfaces for connecting measuring equipment; a switching unit configured to switch measuring devices with spring-loaded electrically conductive contacts; a pressure plate control unit configured to move the pressure plate. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrically conductive spring-loaded contacts on the pressure plate are located through spacers. 3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the spacers are PTFE cylinders. 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressure plate control unit contains two buttons. 5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that when two buttons are pressed, the pressure plate is moved. 6. The device according to claim. 1, characterized in that the lodgment with an area for placing a printed circuit board is a lodgment with milling for a printed circuit board. 7. The device according to claim. 1, characterized in that it contains four guide pins.

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