Patent Publication Number: US-8979550-B2

Title: Contact configuration for undertaking tests on circuit board

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/881,969 filed on Jul. 30, 2007, entitled “Contact Configuration for Undertaking Tests on Circuit Board,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates generally to testing of electronic devices, and more particularly, to contact structure for undertaking tests on circuit boards. 
     2. Background Art 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a typical reliability board  20  which includes a number of semiconductor devices inserted in test sockets for testing thereof (one device shown at  22 ). The board  20  has a portion  20 A on which elongated contacts  24  are formed on opposite sides thereof ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). As is well known, the contacts  24  on one side of the portion  20 A are formed in a row, and the contacts on the opposite side of the portion  20 A are also formed in a row. The contacts  24  are of highly conductive material, for example gold. The contacts  24  connect to the devices by means of conductive lines (for example conductive lines Ca, Cb connecting device  22  with respective contacts  24 ). 
     the portion  20 A of the board  20  is insertable into a connector  26  in the direction indicated by the arrow  28 . The connector  26  includes a plurality of contacts  29  which engage with respective corresponding contacts  24  on the board portion  20 A. The connector  26  is part of a feed though device  30 , which includes another connector  32  electrically connected to the connector  26  ( FIG. 3 ). 
     A control module  34  also has a portion  34 A on which elongated contacts  36  are formed on opposite sides thereof, similar to the contacts  24  on the portion  20 A of the board  20 . This portion  34 A of the module  34  is insertable into the connector  32 , which includes a plurality of contacts (two shown at  38 ) which engage with respective corresponding contacts  36  on the module portion  34 A. In this way, the control module  34  electrically communicates with the devices on the board  20  and may run through testing cycles for running, for example, High Temperature Operating Life test (HTOL), Highly Accelerated Life Test (HAST), and Write Erase Endurance test (ED) of the devices. 
     As devices become more complex and the number of devices on board has increased, the number of contacts on the board  20 , the control module  34 , end the connectors  26 ,  32  respectively associated therewith has increased substantially. For proper testing to be undertaken, there is a limit in the reduction of contact width (as measured along the elongated edge of for example the portion  20 A). This results in the contacts being brought closer and closer together in order in increase contact count. In the event of even a slight misalignment of the board  20  with the connector  26 , or the module  34  with the connector  32 , improper connection of contacts may be made, resulting in improper signals being provided in testing. 
     Therefore, what is needed is an approach wherein contact count may be increased, but with it being insured that proper connection of contacts is maintained. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     Broadly stated, the present electronic structure comprises a body having a body portion insertable into a connector, and a contact structure on a side of the body portion, each contact structure comprising a first contact and a second contact spaced from the first contact. The first and second contacts of each contact structure are aligned in the direction of insertion of the body portion into the connector. 
     The present invention is better understood upon consideration of the detailed description below, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. As will become readily apparent to those skilled in the an from the following description, there is shown and described an embodiment of this invention simply by way of the illustration of the best mode to carry out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other embodiments and its several details are capable of modifications and various obvious aspects, all without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as said preferred mode of use, and further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a conventional reliability board illustrating insertion of a portion thereof into a connector; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken along the line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of illustrating connections of a conventional reliability hoard feed though device, and control module; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of a side of the present reliability board; 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of the opposite side of the present reliability board; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along the line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view of a side of the present reliability board illustrating insertion of a pardon thereof into a connector; 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view of illustrating connections of the present reliability board, feed though device, and control module; and 
         FIGS. 9-11  illustrate systems incorporating the present devices. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Reference is now made in detail to a specific embodiment of the present invention which illustrates the best mode presently contemplated by the inventors for practicing the invention. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate the opposite sides  40 X,  40 Y of the present reliability board  40 . The reliability board  40  includes an extended body portion  40 A. A number of semiconductor devices are inserted in test sockets in the board  40  for testing thereof (one device shown at  42 ). The body portion  40  has a plurality of contact structures  44   a ,  44   b , . . .  44   n  on one side  40 X thereof, each contact structure including a pair of spaced apart contacts (for example contact structure  44   a  including contacts  44   a   1 ,  44   a   2 , contact structure  44   b  including contacts  44   b   1 ,  44   b   2 , etc.). Similarly, a plurality or contact structures  46   a ,  46   b , . . .  46   n  are provided on the opposite side  40 Y of the body portion  40 A, each contact structure including a pair of spaced apart contacts (for example contact structure  46   a  including contacts  46   a   1 ,  46   a   2 , contact structure  46   b  including contacts  46   b   1 ,  46   b   2 , etc.). Each contact on one side is positioned over a respective contact on the other side. 
     The contacts  44   a   2 ,  44   b   2 , . . .  44   n   2  make up a row  48  of contacts on the side  40 X of the portion  40 A, and the contacts  44   a   1 ,  44   b   1 , . . .  44   n   1  also make up a row  50  of contacts on that side  40 X of the portion  40 A, closer to the edge  51  of the body portion  40 A than the row  48  of contacts, Likewise, the contacts  46   a   2 ,  46   b   2 , . . .  46   n   2  make up a row  52  of contacts on the opposite side  40 Y of the portion  40 A, and the contacts  46   a   1 ,  46   b   1 , . . .  46   n   1  also make up a row  54  of contacts on that opposite side  40 Y of the portion  40 A, closer to the edge  51  of the body portion  40 A than the row  52  of contacts. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the signal lines C 1 , C 4  (connecting the device  42  with the contacts  44   a   2 ,  46   a   2  respectively) lie on surfaces of the body portion  40 A, while the signal lines C 2 , C 3  (connecting the device  42  with the contacts  44   a   1 ,  46   a   1  respectively) lie within the body portion  40 A and are connected to the contacts  44   a   1 ,  46   a   1  by means of a conductive plug  55 . These signal lines are of course representative of a large plurality of signal lines connecting various devices on the board  40  with contacts. 
     The contacts of each contact structure are aligned in the direction of insertion of the body portion  40 A into a connector  56  ( FIG. 7 , arrow  53  indicating direction), for example contact  44   a   1  and contact  44   a   2  of contact structure  44   a  so aligned, contact  44   b   1  and contact  44   b   2  of contact structure  44   b  so aligned, etc. The connector  56  is part of a feed though device  58 , which includes another connector  60  electrically connected to the connector  56  ( FIG. 8 ). The connector  56  includes contacts thereon which are configured to engage the respective contacts on the opposite sides  40 X,  40 Y of the body portion  40 A. That is, for example, there is provided a plurality of contact structures  62   a ,  62   b , . . .  62   n ) on the connector  56 . As will be seen, each contact structure on the connector  56  includes a first contact and a second contact spaced from the first contact (for example contact structure  62   a  includes contacts  62   a   1 ,  62   a   2 , contact structure  62   b  includes contacts  62   b   1 ,  62   b   2 , etc.). The contacts of each contact structure are aligned in the direction of insertion  53  of the body portion  40 A into the connector  56  (for example contact  62   a   1  and contact  62   a   2  so aligned, etc.). The connector  56  includes rows  64 ,  66  of contacts corresponding to the rows of contacts  52 ,  54  on the body portion  40 A. 
     A control module  70  also has a portion  70 A on which contacts are formed on opposite sides thereof, similar to the contacts on the portion  40 A of the board  40 . This portion of the module  70  is insertable into the connector  60 , which includes a plurality of contacts which engage with respective corresponding contacts on the module portion  70 A. In this way, the control module  70  electrically communicates with the devices on the board  40  and may run through testing cycles for running, for example, High Temperature Operating Life test (HTOL), Highly Accelerated Life Test (HAST), and Write Erase Endurance test (ED) of the devices. 
     It will be seen that in this approach, double the number of contacts are provided, without crowding contacts closer together along the edge of the body portion. Thus contact count is greatly increased without the problem of improper connection of contacts being made as described above. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a system  200  utilizing devices as described above, As shown therein, the system  200  includes hand-held devices  202  in the form of cell phones, which communicate through an intermediate apparatus such as a tower  204  (shown) and/or a satellite. Signals are provided from one cell phone to the other through the tower  204 . Such a cell phone with advantage uses devices of the type described above. One skilled in the art will readily understand the advantage of using such devices in other hand-held devices  202  which utilize data storage, such as portable media players, personal digital assistants, digital cameras and the like. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates another system  300  utilizing devices as described above. The system  300  includes a vehicle  302  having an engine  304  controlled by an electronic control unit  306 . The electronic control unit  306  with advantage uses devices of the type described. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates yet another system  400  utilizing devices as described above. This system  400  is a computer  402  which includes an input in the form of a keyboard, and a microprocessor for receiving signals from the keyboard through art interface. The microprocessor also communicates with a CDROM drive, a hard drive, and a floppy drive through interfaces. Output from the microprocessor is provided to a monitor through art interface. Also connected to and communicating with the microprocessor is memory which may take the form of ROM, RAM, flash and/or other forms of memory. 
     The foregoing description of the embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Other modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. 
     The embodiment was chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill of the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments end with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.