Using time-domain reflectometry to identify manufacturing information for a passive printed circuit board

A method for identifying manufacturing information about a passive printed circuit board, comprising:

• providing a field-programmable gate array on an active printed circuit board, wherein the field-programmable gate array includes a time-domain reflectometry device to measure signal reflection delay;
• coupling the passive printed circuit board to the active printed circuit board through a connector, wherein the connector provides electronic communication between a conductive trace on the passive printed circuit board and the field-programmable gate array on the active printed circuit board;
• measuring a signal reflection delay in the conductive trace formed on the passive printed circuit board using the time-domain reflectometry device on the active printed circuit board;
• and
• identifying manufacturing information about the passive printed circuit board using the measured signal reflection delay as an index into a table storing a predetermined association between signal reflection delay and passive printed circuit board manufacturing information, wherein the table includes a plurality of predetermined signal reflection delay values, and wherein each of the predetermined signal reflection delay values is associated with passive printed circuit board manufacturing information.