Process for assembling an interposer to probe dense pad arrays

A process for assembling a ball grid array assembly on a printed circuit board, comprising the steps of:

• mounting a number of resistors onto a number of predetermined positions in a pad array on the printed circuit board;
• placing a ball grid array assembly onto the pad array;
• and
• heating a number of solder balls on the ball grid array assembly in a solder re-flow oven to solder the ball grid array assembly to the pad array.

An interposer socket assembly, comprising:

• an interposer board having a pad array;
• a number of resistors mounted onto a number of predetermined positions in the pad array on the interposer board;
• a number of interposer pins held in a pin socket, the pins being inserted into the pads of the pad array on the interposer board after the resistors are mounted thereon, wherein the ends of the interposer pins protrude through the interposer board;
• and
• the interposer pins being electrically coupled to the pads, respectively by placing a solder preform around the ends of the interposer pins and heating the solder preforms in a solder re-flow oven to cause the solder preforms to flow around a base of the interposer pins.