Functional test head for printed circuit boards

A method comprising:

• moving, within a test head frame, a press down mechanism with an attached press plate in a first direction;
• moving, within the test head frame, a tray holding a device under test (DUT) in the first direction in response to the press down mechanism compressing a tray mount mechanism attached to the tray;
• causing a plurality of electrical pads on the DUT to contact first ends of a corresponding plurality of spring-loaded pogo pins on a bed of nails when the tray mount mechanism is compressed, wherein the plurality of spring-loaded pogo pins on the bed of nails are connected to a plurality of interface printed circuit boards (PCBs) within the test head frame;
• and
• moving, in a second direction toward the plurality of interface PCBs, a pogo frame with a plurality of tester PCBs and a plurality of spring-loaded tester pogo pins to cause the plurality of spring-loaded tester pogo pins to engage electrical pads on the plurality of interface PCBs to form an electrical connection.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a test head frame;
• a tray slidably coupled to the test head frame, the tray slidable between an ejected position outside the test head frame and a retracted position inside the test head frame;
• a carrier plate configured to hold a first printed circuit board (PCB) to be tested, the carrier plate removably attached to the tray;
• a stiffener frame slidably attached to the test head frame;
• a bed of nails removably attached to the stiffener frame and including a plurality of spring-loaded pins configured to connect to the first PCB and to a plurality of interface printed circuit boards (PCBs);
• and
• a press down mechanism coupled to the test head frame, the press down mechanism movable in a first direction to cause, when the tray is in the retracted position, the carrier plate with the first PCB to move in the first direction to engage the plurality of spring-loaded pins in the bed of nails to form an electrical connection.

A test head frame comprising:

• a test head body;
• a pair of telescopic rails attached to the test head body;
• a tray coupled to the pair of telescopic rails, the tray slidable via the telescopic rails between an ejected position outside the test head body and a retracted position within the test head body, wherein the tray includes two longitudinal bars with spaced projections to enable removable attachment of a carrier plate configured to hold a first printed circuit board (PCB) to be tested;
• a first pogo frame sized to accommodate a first plurality of pogo blocks containing a first plurality of pogo pins connected to a first plurality of pogo printed circuit boards positioned between the first pogo frame and the first plurality of pogo blocks, wherein the first pogo frame is arranged such that the first plurality of pogo blocks opposes a first plurality of interface printed circuit boards (PCBs) attached to a stiffener frame to which a bed of nails is attached when the stiffener frame is removably attached to the test head frame;
• and
• a press down mechanism configured to move in a first direction to cause, when the tray is in the retracted position and the carrier plate with the first PCB is attached to the tray, the carrier plate and the first PCB to engage a plurality of spring-loaded pins in the bed of nails to form an electrical connection to the first plurality of interface PCBs.