Apparatus and method for testing the calibration of electronic package lead inspection system

A method for testing the calibration of a system for inspecting leads of an electronic package comprising a package body and a group of leads, wherein for the purpose of proper alignment and connection to corresponding connection means, a limit of at least one predetermined position control parameter of said leads is defined relative to the group of leads or package body, wherein when the actual positions of the leads are such that said limit is exceeded, said leads are not in proper alignment for connection to the connection means, said system inspecting said leads to provide readings to indicate whether the actual positions of the leads are such that said limit of at least one predetermined position control parameter is exceeded, said method comprising:

• providing a test unit, said unit having a body resembling the package body and having members, said members being so located and having certain dimensions which differ from designed dimensions of the group of leads but which bear predetermined spatial and dimensional relationships to said designed dimensions of said leads, so that when the system is used to inspect said unit to provide readings, said readings will indicate whether the system is properly calibrated, wherein said members are sufficiently robust so as to prevent said certain dimensions from changing during rough handling of the test unit;
• using the system to inspect the unit and to provide readings on said parameter;
• and
• determining whether the system is properly calibrated, for detecting lead positional deviations.

A device for testing the calibration of a system for inspecting leads of an electronic package comprising a package body and a group of leads, wherein for the purpose of proper alignment and connection to corresponding connection means, a limit of at least one predetermined position control parameter of said leads is defined relative to the group of leads or package body, wherein when the actual positions of the leads are such that said limit is exceeded, said leads are not in proper alignment for connection to the connection means, said system inspecting said leads to provide readings to indicate whether the actual positions of the leads are such that said limit of at least one predetermined position control parameter is exceeded, said device comprising:

• a test unit, said unit having a body resembling the package body, said unit further having members extending from said body, said members being so located and having certain dimensions which differ from designed dimensions of the group of leads but which bear predetermined spatial and dimensional relationships to said designed dimensions of said leads, so that when the system is used to inspect said unit to provide readings, said readings will indicate whether the system is properly calibrated;
• wherein each lead has a predetermined proper position, and wherein the members are of such dimensions and are located relative to the body in such manner that they simulate said proper positions of at least some of said leads, except that at least one of said members deviates from the predetermined proper position of a lead by a distance that simulates said limit of at least one predetermined position control parameter, so that when the system inspects the position of said at least one member relative to said body to provide a reading, said reading will indicate whether the system is properly calibrated for inspection of misaligned leads;
• and
• wherein said members are sufficiently robust so as to prevent the positioning of each member from changing during rough handling of the test unit.

A device for testing the calibration of a system for inspecting leads of an electronic package comprising a package body and a group of leads, wherein for the purpose of proper alignment and connection to corresponding connection means, a limit of at least one predetermined position control parameter of said leads is defined relative to the group of leads or package body, wherein when the actual positions of the leads are such that said limit is exceeded, said leads are not in proper alignment for connection to the connection means, said system inspecting said leads to provide readings to indicate whether the actual positions of the leads are such that said limit of at least one predetermined position control parameter is exceeded, said device comprising:

• a test unit, said unit having a body resembling the package body, said unit further having members extending from said body, said members being so located and having certain dimensions which differ from designed dimensions of the group of leads but which bear predetermined spatial and dimensional relationships to said designed dimensions of said leads, so that when the system is used to inspect said unit to provide readings, said readings will indicate whether the system is properly calibrated, wherein said members are sufficiently robust so as to prevent said certain dimensions from changing during rough handling of the test unit;
• wherein the body is a plate having a top surface and a bottom surface defining a base plane, and the members are distributed around the sides of the body in a manner resembling the leads being distributed around sides of the package body, and wherein three members have bottom surfaces that extend the furthest below the bottom surface of the body and that extend below the bottom surface of at least one of the remaining members, the lowest points of the surfaces of the three members defining a seating plane, said three members being at such locations around the body that when the unit is placed on top of a flat surface, said lowest points of the surfaces of the three members will contact said flat surface, so that when the system inspects the positions of the members relative to said seating plane to provide a reading, said reading will indicate whether the system is properly calibrated for inspection of misaligned leads.