Electronic unit and method for testing at least one state of an electronic unit
AssigneeEndress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
InventorsBernd Strütt, Christian Strittmatter, Christoph Hippin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic unit includes at least one component and a printed circuit board, wherein the at least one component has at least one terminal. The printed circuit board has at least one first contact surface and at least one second contact surface, wherein the at least one first contact surface and the at least one second contact surface are spaced apart from one another. The at least one terminal is joined to the at least two contact surfaces by at least one solder joint. A method for testing at least one state of an electronic unit is also disclosed.
Claims13
A method for testing at least one state of an electronic unit, the method comprising:
- providing an electronic unit comprising:
- at least one component, which includes at least one terminal;
- and
- a printed circuit board, which includes one first contact surface forming an end point of a first conductor track arranged in the printed circuit board, and a second contact surface forming an end point of a second conductor track arranged in the printed circuit board,
- wherein the first contact surface and the second contact surface are spaced apart from one another, and
- wherein the at least one terminal is separately joined to both the first contact surface and the second contact surface by exactly one solder joint,
- wherein an electrical connection between the first and second contact surfaces is created only when both the printed circuit board and the at least one component are present during the soldering process, and the electrical connection is formed only in combination with the at least one component after the at least one component is joined to the first contact surface and the second contact surface by way of the soldering process;
- wherein the first contact surface and the second contact surface are separated from one another by a solder stop, such that an area of the printed circuit board between the first contact surface and the second contact surface is not wetted by solder forming the solder joint;
- applying an electrical input signal to the first contact surface;
- determining an electrical output signal on the second contact surface;
- and
- determining the at least one state of the electronic unit based on the electrical input signal and the electrical output signal;
- wherein the at least one state includes a presence of the at least one component.
A method for testing at least one state of an electronic unit comprising:
- applying an electrical input signal to a first contact surface of a printed circuit board forming an end point of a first conductor track arranged in the printed circuit board and electrically connected by way of a first solder joint to at least one terminal of a component;
- determining an electrical output signal on a second contact surface of the printed circuit board forming an end point of a second conductor track arranged in the printed circuit board and electrically connected to the at least one terminal by way of a second solder joint;
- and
- determining the at least one state of the electronic unit based on the electrical input signal and the electrical output signal;
- wherein the electrical output signal includes a voltage or a resistance;
- and
- wherein the first contact surface and the second contact surface are separately joined to the at least one terminal, wherein an electrical connection between the first and second contact surfaces is created only when both the printed circuit board and the at least one component are present during the soldering process, and the electrical connection is formed only in combination with the at least one component after the at least one component is joined to the first contact surface and the second contact surface by way of the soldering process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.