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US 5,633,598 AGranted
Translator fixture with module for expanding test points
AssigneeEverett Charles Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDavid R. Van Loan, Mark A. Swart
Life of this patent
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AssigneeEverett Charles Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDavid R. Van Loan, Mark A. Swart
Estimating the term…
A translator fixture for a grid-type test fixture for testing circuit boards. In regions of the circuit board where test point density exceeds the grid spacing of probes in a grid base the test points are reached by a test module that plugs into the translator fixture and includes a grid pattern of feed-through probes for contacting special tilt pins connected to certain test points in the high density region of the board. Additional test probes, located between the rows and columns of feed-through probes, support special tilt pins for translating the remaining test points in the high density region of the board to contacts on flex circuit-type cables sandwiched on the module and extending to the periphery of the fixture for coupling to contacts on the grid base to communicate with test circuits in the test analyzer. In an alternate embodiment, a translator module providing an interface between the bottom of the translator fixture and the grid base includes a translator board overlying the grid base and translating test signals from a high density set of contacts on one side of the board to a standard pattern of contacts on the other side aligned with the test probes on the grid base. A receiver plate overlying the translator board receives tilt pins with a high density spacing and provides compliant connections to the high density pattern of contacts on the translator board.
In a grid-type test fixture for testing a printed circuit board in which the grid fixture includes a grid base supporting spring-loaded test probes arranged in a grid pattern having a standard on-center spacing, the probes in the grid base being individually connected to corresponding electrical test circuits in an external automatic electronic test analyzer, and a translator fixture mounted between the grid base and the board under test, in which the translator fixture has vertically spaced-apart and parallel fixturing plates with holes drilled on patterns to support individual generally upright translator pins separately inserted into the holes of the fixturing plates for translating electrical connections between an off-grid pattern of test points in the board under test to the grid pattern of corresponding spring probes in the grid base, the improvement comprising a high density translator module for connecting to one or more regions of the board under test where test point density exceeds the standard on-center spacing of the probes in the grid base, the high density translator module including a grid pattern of feed-through spring probes contacting a,first set of said translator pins which make contact with to certain test points in the high density region on the board, the feed-through spring probes on the translator module making normal spring contact with the grid pattern of standard spring probes in the grid base, the high density test module also including a second set of spring probes located between the rows and columns of feed-through probes, the second set of spring probes supporting a corresponding second set of translator pins for making contact with test points in the high density region of the board, the second set of translator pins separately inserted into the holes of the fixturing plates of the translator module, the second set of spring probes making contact with electrical test circuits within an electrical terminal means connected to and extending from the high density translator module to a peripheral region of the grid base for coupling to test circuit electronics in the electronic test analyzer without the need for increasing the test circuits in the test analyzer.
A translator module for a grid-type test fixture having a grid base with test probes on a grid pattern coupled to an external automatic electronic test analyzer, the translator module comprising a housing having a bottom and a top spaced above the bottom of the housing and a surface area within the plane of the grid base substantially smaller than the area occupied by the grid pattern of test probes within the grid base, the translator module including a first set of feed-through holes containing a first set of test probes with pins projecting from the bottom of the housing in a grid pattern matching the grid pattern of test probes on the grid base, and a second set of high density holes in spaces within the bottom of the housing intervening between the first set of feed-through holes, the second set of high density holes containing a second set of test probes electrically connected to corresponding circuit traces in an electrically insulating sheet contained within the bottom of the housing and projecting away from the exterior of the housing for connection to test circuits within the test analyzer, the first and second sets of holes opening through the top of the module housing and adapted for receiving corresponding translator pins inserted into the first and second sets of holes for contact with the first and second test probes disposed therein, the translator pins used to provide an interface between the translator module and a high density region of test points within a printed circuit board under test.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.