Patent Document ID: 20050073329
Application ID: 10953161
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for reducing the number of misprobes by a flying probe system used in testing circuit boards which contain a number of pre-established test points definable by x, y and z co-ordinates, the system including at least one probe, a storage unit for storing values representing the x, y and z coordinates for the pre-established points, the probe including a camera attached thereto for pretest determination of proper x and y co-ordinate positioning of test and other points during testing using a screen area containing a cross hair or similar positional marking which is normally positioned in the center of the screen area for proper alignment of a point on the PCA, the method comprising the following steps performed prior to any testing: (a) selecting one of the previously established points, positioning the cross hair or similar positional marking on the screen area from a center position defined by the x and y coordinates of the point to a first predetermined offset position; (b) capturing a first predetermined corner portion of the image at the first offset position and recording that as a first image; (c) next, positioning the cross hair or similar positional marking for the selected point from the center position to a second offset position opposite to the first offset position; (d) capturing a second predetermined corner portion of the image at the second offset position and recording that as a second image; (e) processing the first and second images by determining the offset in coordinates needed to align equivalent portions of the images so that they match; and, (f) translating the offsets determined in step (e) for the measured point into actual height values to be used for probing the selected and or neighboring point(s) during subsequent testing of the PCA for providing accurate results by reduction of the number of misprobes.