Floating blind mate interface for automatic test system
OwnerDavid W. Lewinnekinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An interface for making blind-mate connections between a test head of an automatic test system and a device interface board (DIB) includes floating brackets that are individually and compliantly coupled to the test head. The floating brackets each include a plurality of blind-mate connectors and alignment pins for engaging alignment holes within the DIB. When the DIB is pulled down against the test head, the floating brackets can individually move in compliance with applied forces to align the blind-mate connectors with complementary connectors on the DIB.
Claims21
An interface for making blind-mate connections between a first portion of a test system and a second portion of a test system, comprising:
- a plurality of floating brackets, each floating bracket being individually and compliantly connected to the first portion of the test system and including a plurality of blind-mate connectors,
- wherein the plurality of blind-mate connectors is positioned and arranged for making electrical connections with a plurality of complementary blind-mate connectors attached to the second portion of the test system.
An interface as recited in claim 3, wherein the second portion of the test system includes a complementary alignment mechanism for engaging the alignment mechanism of each of the plurality of floating brackets.
A method of forming connections between a first portion of a test system and a second portion of a test system, the first portion of the test system including floating brackets individually and compliantly attached to the first portion of the test system and each floating bracket including blind-mate connectors for attaching to complementary blind-mate connectors on the second portion of the test system, the method comprising:
- placing the first portion of the test system in coarse alignment with the second portion of the test system;
- and
- compressing together the first and second portions of the test system to individually align each of the floating brackets of the first portion of the test system with the second portion of the test system and to mate the blind-mate connectors of the first portion of the test system with the complementary blind-mate connectors of the second portion of the test system.
An interface for making blind-mate connections between different portions of a test system, comprising:
- a test head;
- a device interface board;
- a plurality of floating brackets each individually and compliantly attached to one of the test head and the device interface board and each including a plurality of blind-mate connectors;
- a plurality of mating brackets each coupled to the other of the test head and the device interface board and including a plurality of complementary blind-mate connectors,
- wherein each of the plurality of floating brackets is compliantly moveable to align with one of the plurality of mating brackets, for making electrical connections between each plurality of blind-mate connectors and each plurality of complementary blind-mate connectors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.