SYSTEM AND METHOD IMPLEMENTING SHORT-PULSE PROPAGATION TECHNIQUE ON PRODUCTION-LEVEL BOARDS WITH INCREMENTAL ACCURACY AND PRODUCTIVITY LEVELS
First Claim
1. A system for testing performance of a multi-level printed circuit board (PCB) having one or more layers of conductors carrying signals at or exceeding Gigahertz frequencies, the testing system comprising:
- formed at a layer of said multi-level PCB board, a first conductor line of x length and a second conductor line of y length where x>
y; and
, each first and second conductor line having respective capture pad termination at each end;
a plated via through hole extending between a formed surface test pad connector at said top and bottom surfaces of said PCB for electrically coupling respective first and second capture pad terminations at each line end to a respective surface test pad connector provided at a top and bottom PCB surface, each test pad connector configured for electrical coupling to an RF connector device at said PCB board surface; and
,a testing apparatus configured for testing said conductor line formed at a PCB layer by inputting signals at a first end of said conducting line via said RF connector device coupled to a first surface test pad connector at a PCB surface and measuring signals at a second end of said conducting line via a second RF connector device coupled to a second surface test pad connector at said PCB surface,said test apparatus processing said measured signals for modeling performance of said PCB when operating in excess of Gigahertz frequencies, said testing implementing a time-domain Short Pulse Propagation (SPP) technique.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for performing a test for characterizing high frequency operation of PCB boards. More particularly, a system and methodology is provided to implement a time-domain short pulse propagation (SPP) technique on the production line, on large, multi-layer, product-level PCB boards, for large volume testing, by people who are not familiar with advanced, delicate, measurement techniques, who need robust test facilities, and cannot afford the time or expense of other lab-type approaches.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A system for testing performance of a multi-level printed circuit board (PCB) having one or more layers of conductors carrying signals at or exceeding Gigahertz frequencies, the testing system comprising:
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formed at a layer of said multi-level PCB board, a first conductor line of x length and a second conductor line of y length where x>
y; and
, each first and second conductor line having respective capture pad termination at each end;a plated via through hole extending between a formed surface test pad connector at said top and bottom surfaces of said PCB for electrically coupling respective first and second capture pad terminations at each line end to a respective surface test pad connector provided at a top and bottom PCB surface, each test pad connector configured for electrical coupling to an RF connector device at said PCB board surface; and
,a testing apparatus configured for testing said conductor line formed at a PCB layer by inputting signals at a first end of said conducting line via said RF connector device coupled to a first surface test pad connector at a PCB surface and measuring signals at a second end of said conducting line via a second RF connector device coupled to a second surface test pad connector at said PCB surface, said test apparatus processing said measured signals for modeling performance of said PCB when operating in excess of Gigahertz frequencies, said testing implementing a time-domain Short Pulse Propagation (SPP) technique. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A test structure provided for facilitating performance testing of a multi-level printed circuit board (PCB) having one or more layers of conductors carrying signals at or exceeding Gigahertz frequencies, the testing structure comprising:
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a first conductor line formed at a layer of said multi-level PCB board, of x length and a second conductor line formed at a same layer of said multi-level PCB board, of y length where x>
y; and
, each first and second conductor line having respective capture pad termination at each end; and
,a plated via through hole extending between a formed surface test pad connector at a surface of said PCB for electrically coupling respective first and second capture pad terminations at each line end to a respective surface test pad connector provided at a PCB surface, each test pad connector configured for electrical coupling to an RF connector device at said PCB board surface, wherein a test apparatus models performance of said PCB when operating in excess of Gigahertz frequencies by coupling signals to and from a conductor line via said RF connector device and automatically performing a time domain single pulse propagation measurement of said conductor lines at a PCB layer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of testing a multi-level printed circuit board (PCB) having one or more layers of conductors carrying signals at or exceeding Gigahertz frequencies, said method comprising:
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providing, at a layer of said multi-level PCB board, a test structure comprising; a first conductor line, of x length and a second conductor line formed at a same layer of y length where x>
y; and
, each first and second conductor line having respective capture pad termination at each end; and
,a plated via through hole extending between a formed surface test pad connector at a surface of said PCB for electrically coupling respective first and second capture pad terminations at each line end to a respective surface test pad connector provided at a PCB surface, each test pad connector configured for electrical coupling to an RF connector device at said PCB board surface, automatically coupling a first RF connector device to a respective surface test pad connector via an RF connector device at a first end of a conductor line and a second RF connector device to a respective surface test pad connector at a second end a conductor line; automatically configuring a testing apparatus for testing said conductor line formed at said layer by inputting signals at a first end of said conducting line via said first RF connector device coupled to a first surface test pad connector at a PCB surface and, measuring signals at a second end of said conducting line via said second RF connector device coupled to a second surface test pad connector at said PCB surface, said testing implementing a time-domain Short Pulse Propagation (SPP) technique; and
,processing, at a computing device, said measured signals for modeling broadband performance of said PCB when operating in excess of Gigahertz frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification