Method and system for implicitly encoding preferred probing locations in a printed circuit board design for use in tester fixture build

A method for determining fixture probe locations in a printed circuit board tester fixture, said method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining a PCB design, said PCB design comprising one or more nets respectively having an associated preferred test pad implemented along said respective net at an associated preferred probing location and associated one or more alternate test pads implemented along said respective net at associated one or more alternate probing locations as determined by execution of a probe location algorithm that receives respective lists of potential test pad locations for said respective nets and respectively predictably determines said associated preferred probing location and said associated one or more alternate probing locations for said respective nets;
• and
• executing said probe location algorithm to respectively determine said associated preferred probing location for said one or more nets, wherein said respective lists of potential test pad locations associated with said respective nets respectively comprise locations of said associated preferred test pad and said associated one or more alternate test pads implemented along said respective nets.

A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying program instructions implementing a method for determining fixture probe locations in a printed circuit board tester fixture, said method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining a PCB design, said PCB design comprising one or more nets respectively having an associated preferred test pad implemented along said respective net at an associated preferred probing location and associated one or more alternate test pads implemented along said respective net at associated one or more alternate probing locations as determined by execution of a probe location algorithm that receives respective lists of potential test pad locations for said respective nets and respectively predictably determines said associated preferred probing location and said associated one or more alternate probing locations for said respective nets;
• and
• executing said probe location algorithm to respectively determine said associated preferred probing location for said one or more nets, wherein said respective lists of potential test pad locations associated with said respective nets respectively comprise locations of said associated preferred test pad and said associated one or more alternate test pads implemented along said respective nets.

A method for implicitly encoding a preferred probing location of a net in a printed circuit board (PCB) design, said method comprising the steps of:

• executing a probe location algorithm that predictably determines a respective preferred probing location from among a respective plurality of potential probing locations associated with one or more respective nets in said PCB design;
• respectively adding, for each said respective nets, a test pad to said PCB design at said respective preferred probing location and also at zero or more alternate probing locations chosen from among remaining ones of said plurality of potential probing locations.

A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying program instructions implementing a method for implicitly encoding a preferred probing location of a net in a printed circuit board (PCB) design, said method comprising the steps of:

• executing a probe location algorithm that predictably determines a respective preferred probing location from among a respective plurality of potential probing locations associated with one or more respective nets in said PCB design;
• respectively adding, for each said respective nets, a test pad to said PCB design at said respective preferred probing location and also at zero or more alternate probing locations chosen from among remaining ones of said plurality of potential probing locations.

An apparatus for implicitly encoding a preferred probing location of a net in a printed circuit board (PCB) design, comprising:

• a probe location function that predictably determines a respective preferred probing location from among a respective plurality of potential probing locations associated with one or more respective nets in said PCB design;
• and
• a test pad insertion function which respectively adds, for each said respective nets, a test pad to said PCB design at said respective preferred probing location and also at zero or more alternate probing locations chosen from among remaining ones of said plurality of potential probing locations.