Method and apparatus for discharging voltages from a circuit under test

A circuit tester, comprising:

• a control system to,
• make a first pin of a circuit tester an active pin, and execute a current discharge process for the active pin by,
• causing a current discharge circuit to be coupled to the active pin, and then causing the current discharge circuit to be enabled;
• causing a voltage of the active pin to be measured and,
• i) if the measured voltage is within a defined window, causing the active pin to be coupled to ground;
• and
• ii) if the measured voltage is outside of the defined window after the current discharge circuit has been enabled for a predetermined period of time, causing the active pin to be marked as not discharged;
• and
• causing the current discharge circuit to be disabled and
• decoupled from the active pin;
• and
• make a next one of the pins the active pin and cause the current discharge process to be repeated.

A circuit tester, comprising:

• a plurality of pins;
• a current discharge circuit having a voltage measurement circuit, the voltage measurement circuit being coupled to measure a voltage at an input to the current discharge circuit;
• a discharge bus via which the input to the current discharge circuit can be switched into contact with an active one of the plurality of pins;
• a ground bus via which ones of the plurality of pins can be switched into contact with a ground;
• and
• a control system to,
• after the plurality of pins have been coupled to nodes of a circuit under test, make one of the pins the active pin and execute a current discharge process by,
• causing the input of the current discharge circuit to be coupled to the active pin via the discharge bus;
• enabling the current discharge circuit and,
• i) if the voltage measured by the voltage measurement circuit is within a defined window, causing the active pin to be coupled to ground via the ground bus;
• and
• ii) if the voltage measured by the voltage measurement circuit is outside of the defined window after the current discharge circuit has been enabled for a predetermined period of time, causing the active pin to be marked as not discharged;
• and
• causing the current discharge circuit to be disabled and
• decoupled from the active pin;
• and
• make a next one of the pins the active pin and cause the current discharge process to be repeated.