Patent ID: 7025262

Claim:
Method for component verification during operation of a placement machine ( 101 ) having a series of feeder slots ( 103 ) for holding component feeders ( 104 ) with feeder markers, each feeder marker associated with a component ID ( 204 ′) indicative of the type of component contained in the corresponding feeder ( 203 ), wherein each feeder slot ( 103 ) has a slot ID ( 208 ), wherein said placement machine operates in correlation with a repeated sequence list ( 306 ) with sequential steps, said method comprising upon receipt of a pick up trigger signal ( 205 ) scanning a feeder marker from the actual feeder ( 104 ) in said actual feeder slot ( 103 ), while the machine ( 101 ) is in progress of picking a component from said actual feeder ( 104 ), to determine the actual component ID ( 204 ′) associated with the feeder marker, determining ( 206 ) the actual slot ID ( 208 ), determining from stored configuration information ( 207 ) the intended component ID ( 204 ), where the intended component ID ( 204 ) is the ID of the type of component intended to be picked up from said actual feeder slot ( 104 ), comparing said intended component ID ( 204 ) with said actual component ID ( 204 ′), in case of discrepancy between said intended component ID ( 204 ) and said actual component ID ( 204 ′) indicating said discrepancy, wherein determining ( 206 ) said actual slot ID ( 208 ) comprises determining the sequential step number of the actual step ( 308 ) and for each actual step during operation of said placement machine, reading from said sequence list ( 306 ) the associated actual slot ID ( 208 ); and using the actual slot ID ( 208 ) read out from the sequence list ( 306 ) to determine the intended component ID ( 204 ) for comparison with said actual component ID ( 204 ′).