Patent ID: 8130006

Claim:
An electronic element testing apparatus for use with a number of probes, each probe having a lower pole and an upper pole, the apparatus comprising: a first plate having a first side and a second side, the first side having an array of lower pole regions disposed thereabout, each lower pole region configured to receive a lower pole of a probe; and a plurality of stationary signal conductor regions disposed proximate the array of lower pole regions, each stationary signal conductor region comprising metal-coated through holes through a motherboard mounted on the second side of said first plate, and arranged to provide a stationary non-cable electrical path between a lower pole region and a switching circuit, wherein when lower poles are disposed at least some of the lower pole regions, when each lower pole contacts a first terminal region of an electronic element, when an upper pole complementary to each lower pole contacts a second terminal region of the electronic element, and when each signal conductor region provides a non-cable electrical path between a lower pole region and a switching circuit, the switching circuits are operable to sequentially connect each electronic element to a testing circuit via the upper and lower poles.