CIRCUIT BOARD TESTING MACHINE DESCmPTIO^OF^TOE^PREFERRED
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The testing machine of the invention is illustrated in
1. Field of the Invention 5 the Figures and in FIG. 1 a first generally horizontal This invention relates in general to a circuit board base Plate 1» formed with an opening la. A plurality of
testing machine for connecting a plurality of terminals Pm 001112018 5 ■» supported on slidable rails 4
and are test points to a circuit board mounted on a whloh, move tblTM& blooks 3 that 310 foJm^uvnth^
support to allow measuring of electrical parameters ,„ ^f**? for re°7Hm« the rails therethrough.
, . . . ° 10 The blocks 3 are mounted on rotatable column-like
oug e pins. bearing members 2 which are mounted on the base plate
2. Description of the Prior Art !about the opening la ^ shown Electrical lines 6 are Testmg meahcines such as disclosed in German OS m0Unted in grooves 7 formed in the rails 4 and are
2,427,118 are known. This machine consists of a base electrically connected to the contact test pins 5. The
and a plurality of slide-in units which may be inter- u other ends of the lines 6 are connected to contact termi
changed with each other and which have sides which nals 8 that are receivable in a measuring device which
are freely accessible in the inserted state and the test can, for example, record indicate and supply outputs
pins are arranged. The test pins are connected to plug-in indicative of the signals determined by the test pins 5.
connecting elements in the end walls of the slide-in units For simplicity, the measuring device 9 is illustrated in
and are electrically connected through counter-con- 20 block form.
tacts in the machine to the supply lines of measuring As shown in FIG. 1, above the test pins 5, an assem
circuits. In this arrangement, the test pins are mounted blv carrier such & a oircuit board uPon which be
on the individual slide-in units such that they are prop- TM*«»* a plurality of electrical components 11 and
erly arranged for different design assemblies or different „ which has on its underside, no shown, a plurality of
• e TM . , . 25 printed circuits which connect the components 11 and
measuring functions The versatdrty of adapters of tms \Q ^ other ^ tQ end ... that are
type is limited by the number of shde-m units that are connected to a plug strip 12.
available. As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit board 10 is receivable
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION m a U-shape frame member 13 which is formed with a
30 groove 13a into which the printed circuit board is reThe present invention provides an adapter for posi- ceivable such that the plug strip 12 of the printed circuit tioning test pins for measuring electrical signals on board is received in a mating contact strip 14 on the printed circuit boards which can be universally ad- frame 13. In the event measuring and/or operating voltjusted. In the present invention, the test pins are ages are not fed to the assembly through the line 6 and mounted so that they are moveable to any position 35 the test contacts 5, a cable 15 connects connecting strip parallel to the surface of the support and a positioning 14 to a suitable signal source 16 which might consist of carrier is provided which can be adjusted in two Carte- a sub-circuit of a device which is to be tested or might sian coordinate directions by means of controllable 1x5 the measuring circuit device 9. drive devices and which can locate the pins and then ,K » necessary for testmg the circuit board 10 that a move them from their position according to the known 40 plurahty of tenmnals or test pomts which are Seated cm
■.. t * * • • the conductor paths, be electrically connected to the
coordinates to the desired locations where test: pm posi- mc ^ tf ^d {he ... > of ^ measurm
tarns are desirable. The test pins can then be locked in deyice 9 thf h the {est pins 5 ^ is accompiished by their new positions and brought into contact with the movmg the test pins according to Cartesian coordinates printed circuit board which is mounted on a carrier 45 m a coordinate system which is aligned parallel to the which moves relative to the test pins to bring the test edges of the circuit board 10 and the test pins are moved pins in contact with the board. parallel to the plane of the circuit board 10 until they are
The advantages of the invention consist in that only a at the desired coordinates of the particular points of the single adapter is required because any arbitrary number circuit on the printed circuit board 10 which are to be of design assemblies can be tested by the machine of the 50 contacted by the test points 5. After the test contact invention in that the test pins can be located at any points 5 have been positioned as desired, the circuit desired position. board 10 and frame 13 are moved downwardly relative
Other objects, features and advantages of the inven- to FIGS. 1 and 2 by control rods 17 which are contion will be readily apparent from the following de- trolled by pneumatic drives 18 mounted on the plate 1 scription of certain preferred embodiments thereof 55 between the members 2 so that the test contacts 5 entaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings f«° tho PTM1^ °An *e V^ted ckouit
„u, „, . • „ „. j;c„„t: „ „„„ Zt. ^ee^t„A board 10 at the desired locations. At this tune, of course,
although variations and modifications may be effected i,.-, - , * ^ * » • ^ i-j*
... °, , ^ r . .. . *tt. i the electrical signals at the test pomts are supplied to
without departag from the spmt and scope of the novel conductors 6 tQBthe testin dev^ md after^he test
concepts of the disclosure and in which: a signals have ^ noted> the pneumatic drives Mov/ the
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS frame 13 311(1 the printed circuit board 10 to move upwardly out of engagement with the test probes 5. FIG. 1 illustrates the testmg machine of the inven- pneumatic drives 18 can be operated by remote
t1011. control valves and produce the required contact pres
FIG. 2 is a detail view of the circuit board holder and 65 sure between the test pins 5 and the circuit board 10
moving mechanism; and without damaging the electrical conductor paths result
FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view of the pin positioning ing from excess non-uniform or jerky movement of the
mechanism of the invention. frame 13. Of course, manual control of the vertical
