Patent ID: 6144210
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
An apparatus for detecting the presence of, and then locating the position of a manufacturing defect on a populated circuit board, comprising:at least one signal source from a group of signal sources including an onboard controllable signal source and an external controllable signal source, the signal source being responsive to a control signal, the control signal triggering generation of an output test signal from the signal source and application of the output test signal to an electrical signal path on the populated circuit board; anda sensor assembly for detecting the output test signal proximately near a location on the circuit board, the location being electrically unrelated to the electrical signal path to which the test signal is applied, the sensor being further functional to detect the manufacturing defect by comparing the output test signal detected proximately near the location on the circuit board to a lower threshold value, the sensor assembly being separate from the circuit board.