Apparatus and methods for contact insertion and retention testing

A method for inserting an electrically conductive contact in a hole in an electrical connector, comprising:

• (a) placing an electrical connector underneath an insertion tip and above a test probe;
• (b) coupling a contact to the insertion tip;
• (c) moving the insertion tip until the contact is partially inserted into a hole in the electrical connector;
• (d) moving the test probe toward the electrical connector until an end of the test probe is at a starting position;
• (e) moving the insertion tip to insert the contact further into the hole subsequent to step (d);
• (f) detecting a vertical position of the end of the test probe using a sensor subsequent to step (e);
• (g) outputting sensor data representing the detected vertical position of the end of the test probe from the sensor to a computer;
• (h) determining that the detected vertical position of the end of the test probe as represented by the sensor data is lower in elevation than an alignment check vertical position using a computer, wherein the alignment check vertical position is lower in elevation than the starting position;
• (i) determining that the detected vertical position of the end of the test probe as represented by the sensor data is higher in elevation than a vibration check vertical position using the computer subsequent to step (h), wherein the vibration check vertical position is lower in elevation than the alignment check vertical position;
• and
• (j) using the computer to activate a vibrator that is vibrationally coupled to the insertion tip by way of a metal rod in response to determining that the detected vertical position of the end of the test probe is higher in elevation than the vibration check vertical position.