Patent ID: 8648616

Claim:
A loaded board test fixture for testing a plurality of closely spaced test points on a loaded printed circuit board comprising: an array of relatively widely spaced apart high spring force test probes extending through a probe plate and adapted for electrically connecting to an external electronic test analyzer; a translator fixture removably positioned over the high spring force test probes and adjacent the closely spaced test points on the circuit board; the translator fixture having a top plate for receipt of circuit board components so that an upper surface of the top plate is substantially adjacent to the test points on a loaded printed circuit board and a plurality of parallel plates below the top plate; a plurality of translator pins supported in the translator fixture for alignment with the test probes at one end of the translator fixture and with the closely spaced test points at the opposite end of the translator fixture, the translator pins comprising solid pins having sufficient axial rigidity to effectively translate test forces applied by the test probes to the closely spaced test points, and wherein the test probes are in compliant contact with the translator pins for translating said test forces and electrical test signals between the closely spaced test points on the printed circuit board and connections to the external electronic test analyzer; and optimization means that determines the placement of the translator pins in the translator fixture by determining final hole drilling locations in the top plate and plurality of parallel plates based upon the shortest interconnect distance between the closely spaced test points and the test probes for the translator pins.