Patent ID: 11788964

Abstract:
Methods and apparatus for testing solder joints of a PCB assembly using fluorescent-dye penetrants. The use of a suitable fluorescent-dye penetrant may significantly improve the sensitivity of a Dye and Pry test to dye indications compared to a typical sensitivity achievable thereby with a conventional dye penetrant. Some embodiments may use an automated fluorescence imaging system employing a translation stage to sequentially move individual solder-joint parts of a circuit under test into the field of view of a fluorescence microscope and a high-resolution digital camera to capture fluorescence images of the individual solder-joint parts. The movement of the translation stage and processing of the fluorescence images may be referenced to an electronic CAD file of the circuit to enable high-precision automated scanning of the solder-joint parts in the fluorescence imaging system, automated quantification of the extent of cracks in individual solder joints, and automatic generation of examination reports.