Fixture for testing a head gimbal assembly employing a flex interconnect circuit

Abstract

A test mixture for testing a head gimbal assembly has a flex interconnect circuit with one or more test pads, and includes a clamp assembly and a connector board. The clamp assembly is secured to the connector board for locking the test pads in position. The connector board includes probing pins that contact the test pads in order to establish an electrical path with the head gimbal assembly. The clamp assembly includes a base and a self-locking mechanism, with the base serving as an interface between the self-locking mechanism and the connector board. The self-locking mechanism serves to position the test pads in a desired relation relative to the probing pins and to clamp the test pads during testing. The self-locking mechanism includes a clamp arm having a guiding slide that receives part of the flex interconnect circuit for positioning the test pads within the self-locking mechanism. The connector board is secured to a magnetic test cartridge.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.