Test system for testing electrical connections between components and a printed circuit board

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10914791-B2
Application number	US-201716321925-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2017
Priority date	Aug 1, 2016
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

A test system for testing electrical connections, especially soldered connections, between electronic components and a circuit board to be tested, characterized in that the test system has a communication interface, which by contacting the circuit board enables a data exchange with a data memory or a communication module of the circuit board to be tested, wherein the communication interface is arranged within a housing of the test system freely movably in at least two spatial directions, preferably three spatial directions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A test system for testing electrical connections between electronic components and a circuit board to be tested, the test system comprising:
a housing;
a communication interface, which by contacting the circuit board to be tested enables a data exchange with a data memory and/or a communication module of the circuit board to be tested, wherein the communication interface is arranged within the housing of the test system movably in at least two spatial directions, and
a test module that is arranged movably in at least two spatial directions in the housing of the test system,
wherein the test module includes a data memory and/or a communication chip in which a plurality of communication protocols are stored, and wherein the test module further includes a processor or a logic chip for selecting at least one communication protocol from the plurality of communication protocols,
wherein the communication interface is connected tightly or with a cable to the test module.

2. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication interface includes at least three electrically conductive contact tips.

3. The test system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a data supply to the circuit board to be tested occurs via at least a first contact tip of the at least three contact tips and a data return from the circuit board occurs via at least a second contact tip of the at least three contact tips.

4. The test system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a reference potential is applied to at least a third contact tip of the at least three contact tips.

5. The test system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the communication interface further includes a housing section, wherein the at least three contact tips are disposed at least partially in the housing section, and wherein the at least three contact tips are spring biased such that a pushing action on the at least three contact tips causes the at least three contact tips to retract partially into the housing section.

6. The test system as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the communication interface includes at least four electrically conductive contact tips, and
wherein a differential data supply to the circuit board to be tested occurs via at least two of the at least four contact tips and a differential data return from the circuit board occurs via at least two other of the at least four contact tips.

7. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is arranged movably in a spatial direction relative to the test module.

8. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the test module includes a camera or a barcode scanner for detecting an identifying feature of the circuit board, including a barcode, a QR-code, or a serial number.

9. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
an electrical current and/or voltage source for energy supply of the circuit board to be tested via the communication interface, wherein the electrical current and/or voltage source is arranged movably in at least two spatial directions within the housing of the test system.

10. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more pin-like test tips embodied to scan the circuit board on a top of the circuit board for testing soldered connections between the circuit board and the electronic components.

11. The test system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the one or more test tips have articulations and/or movable axes and are arranged movably and enabled to travel in three directions in the housing of the test system.

12. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the test module and the communication interface are arranged such that they can approach the circuit board from below the circuit board.

13. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the test module includes one or more test tips for testing electrical connection of components of the circuit board, which test tips are extendable in a maximum of one direction from the test module.

14. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the test module includes tool components for handling the circuit board, including the removal of mounting aids or the repair of electrical connections.

15. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the test module and/or the communication interface include a transformer module connected before the at least three contact tips.

16. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the test module and/or the communication module include a temperature measuring device for temperature measurement of soldered connections and electronic components.

17. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the test module includes a driver and/or sensor with which the voltage level of the communication protocols can be set and with which also electrical currents and/or voltages on/in communication lines can be measured and monitored.

18. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the test module further includes a relay matrix and/or a multiplexer with which can be connected communication lines from the communication chip; signal sources from the test system and/or a computer connected thereto; voltage signals of the electrical current and/or voltage source; ascertained measurement data, and interface signals of a communication unit on any of the contact tips of the communication interface.

19. The test system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the test module includes a transformer module with a transformer with which a galvanic isolation of the communication module on the circuit board to be tested is implemented and a matching in the sense of an Ethernet connection is assured, independently of whether with the communication module a further electrical connection to an Ethernet socket is present or not.

Assignees

• Flowtec Ag

Inventors

• Böhler Thomas
• Brudermann Matthias
• Werle Christoph
• Wucher Markus
• Kollmer Daniel
• Adam Ludovic

Classifications

• G01R31/71

  Testing of solder joints · CPC title

• G01R31/70 Primary

  Testing of connections between components and printed circuit boards (G01R31/68 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R31/2818 Primary

  using test structures on, or modifications of, the card under test, made for the purpose of testing, e.g. additional components or connectors (G01R31/2805 takes precedence; printed circuits having, e.g. symbols, test patterns or visualisation means H05K1/0266) · CPC title