Patent ID: 8860456

Claim:
A method of detecting a defect in a coupling between a circuit board and an electronic component mounted on a top surface of the circuit board, comprising: measuring a plurality of differential measurements between a horizontal plane of the electronic component in relation to a plurality of reference planes, wherein: each of the plurality of differential measurements is performed at a different location of the electronic component, each of the plurality of differential measurements is associated with at least one of the plurality of reference planes, and each of the plurality of reference planes is established by computing an average height of a plurality of points on the top surface of the circuit board that are proximate to the electronic component to define a horizontal plane at the position of the average height; obtaining an indicia of tilt of the horizontal plane of the electronic component based on a difference in the measured plurality differential measurements; evaluating coupling between the circuit board and the electronic component based on the indication of the tilt; and identifying a defect in the coupling responsive to the evaluation.