Integrated X-ray and visual inspection systems

An apparatus for inspecting a printed circuit board with components thereon, the apparatus comprising:

• within a single inspection subsystem, a holder for holding a printed circuit board having first and second sides, an X-ray source on a first side of a printed circuit board in the holder, a first camera on the second side of a printed circuit board in the holder providing X-ray image data for a printed circuit board resulting from X-rays from the X-ray source passing through a printed circuit board and components thereon, and a second camera providing visible image data for one of the first and second sides of a printed circuit board in the holder;
• an X-ray image processor coupled to the first camera receiving the X-ray image data for the printed circuit board to be inspected and processing the X-ray image data;
• a visual image processor coupled to the second camera receiving the visual image data for the printed circuit board to be inspected and processing the visual image data;
• a processing unit coupled to the visual image processor and X-ray image processor combining the results of the processing of the visual image data and the X-ray image data to generate a decision.

A method for inspecting an object comprising:

• placing an object to be inspected into an inspection subsystem;
• passing X-ray radiation through the object to be inspected within the inspection subsystem;
• providing in electronic form X-ray image data of an object to be inspected within the inspection subsystem;
• providing in electronic form visual image data of an object to be inspected within the inspection subsystem;
• processing the visual image data to detect features in the visual image;
• processing the X-ray image data to detect features in the X-ray image;
• and,
• combining the results of the processing of the visual image data and the X-ray image data to generate a decision.