Versatile and easy-use all-in-one PCB board tester

Saelig Company, Inc. offers an easy-use universal PCB test solution employing the ABI BoardMaster – a unique, versatile, self-contained, and easy-to-use PCB test system housed in a convenient 19" rack case. This all-in-one unit can be attached to a custom bed-of-nails or PCB interface to form a comprehensive end-of-line test unit for manufacturing or repetitive PCB repairs. Bed-of-nails fixtures are available from several manufacturers. The solution features a mix-and-match set of test instruments to provide exactly what is needed to test most PCB technologies and ICs. Easy-to-use but sophisticated and programmable investigation methods, such as V/I testing, digital/analog IC checks, and voltage supply variations, are supplied to speed up thorough PCB testing tasks. The solution can also help determine operational equivalency when supply chain issues challenge engineers, including refurbished boards and changes in component part numbers or manufacturers.

Conventional end-of-line testing is sometimes accomplished with a custom-designed test jig that often relies on results on conventional equipment like oscilloscopes and DMMs or just installing the board in a product to 'see if it works'. These methods are hard to automate, need to be more thorough, and can be subjective between different operators. A critical issue for product manufacturers is the ability to make accurate, reproducible, and bias-free measurements.

Testing an assembled electronic circuit board is critical to the production process. End-of-line testing assesses not only the product's quality but also the production process's quality. Efficient and reliable detection of malfunctioning units is the primary need for tests, but reducing rejection rates, keeping statistical data, and maximizing output are additional bonuses. The results of end-of-line testing should be repeatable by different operators, even at various locations using the same equipment. An end-of-line tester should be easy to include on the manufacturing floor, robust, cost-effective, and simple to operate, with the ability to produce evidentiary documentation.

The solution is a unique test system that meets these needs on a benchtop or in an equipment rack. It uses a mix-and-match selection of CD-drive-sized System8 test instrument modules that can construct a self-contained, customized PCB test station with a test clip, custom connector, or a custom bed-of-nails from a recommended supplier for connection with the DUT. The solution provides complete testing and fault-finding with programmable signal stimuli and DMM and oscilloscope measurements for almost any PCB. It can be configured to suit immediate needs and later expanded as new requirements evolve. One hundred and twenty-eight digital and 24 analog test channels enable a variety of test and measurement techniques to find even subtle faults, even on unpowered boards. The solution can be configured to guide users step-by-step through a test procedure, with custom-annotated images, PDFs, instructions, videos, and attached datasheets to give quick Pass/Fail and component fault results. This is quicker and more economical than using traditional oscilloscopes, meters, and other bench test methods and allows procedures to be performed by less qualified technicians.