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AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorsKevin G. Chandler, Barry A. Alcorn, Bryan D. Boswell, John M. Heumann, Ed O. Schlotzhauer
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A method for testing node isolation on a circuit board. The method utilizes an automated test system having a plurality of test channels, wherein each test channel has a digital driver with a first input and a first output, and a digital receiver with a second output and a second input. The second input of the receiver is coupled to the first output of the driver, to a number of switches, and to a test probe. The test probe is configured to couple the driver and receiver to one of a plurality of nodes on a circuit board. The number of switches are configured to selectively couple the first output and second input to ground. During a node isolation test, each node of a test node group is coupled to one of the test channels. But for a selected node of the test node group, each node of the test node group is coupled to ground via the number of switches of the test channels coupled to the nodes. Thereafter, a test signal is applied to the selected node via the digital driver of a first test channel which is coupled to the selected node. It is then determined if the digital receiver of the first test channel indicates that the selected node is coupled to ground, and whether the selected node is isolated from the remaining nodes of the test node group. If the selected node is not isolated from the remaining nodes of the test node group, the nodes of the test node group are released from ground, a test signal is once again applied to the selected node, and a determination is made as to whether the selected node is grounded to thereby determine if the selected node is directly connected to ground. Finally, if the selected node is not directly connected to ground, varying subsets of the remaining nodes are coupled to ground, a test signal is once again applied to the selected node, and a determination is made as to whether the selected node is grounded to thereby determine which nodes of the test node group the selected node is isolated from.
A method for testing node isolation on a circuit board having a plurality of nodes using an automated test system comprising a plurality of test channels, each of the plurality of test channels comprising a digital driver having a first input and a first output, a digital receiver having a second output and a second input, the second input being coupled to the first output, a number of switches coupled to the first output and the second input, said number of switches being configured to selectively couple the first output and the second input to ground, and a test probe, the test probe being coupled to the first output and the second input, and the test probe being configured to couple the first output and second input to one of the plurality of nodes, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.