Test fixture wiring integrity verification device

• US 5,198,756 A
• Filed: 07/29/1991
• Issued: 03/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Atg-Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Atg-Electronics Incorporated, William Maillet
• Inventors: Jenkins, Jack E., Maillet, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Karlsen, Ernest F.
• Application Number:
  US07/737,433
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 324/158 R, 324/158 P, 324/158 F
• US Class Current: 324/750.24
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/073 Multiple probes

Abstract

A wiring test system in which test probes are to be oriented to engage contact points on a production circuit board, a wiring integrity verification plate comprising, in combination: a thin insulative base plate, multiple contact pads and leads attached to the plate; each of the leads extending between and interconnecting two of the contact pads, whereby multiple circuit sections are formed on the board, each circuit section including two pads interconnected by a lead; the two pads of each circuit section respectively located to be contacted by the probes of the wiring test system for providing an electrical continuity test via that circuit section, when those two probes are correctly located relative to contact points on production circuit board for testing the production circuit board.

Claims

1. In the method of orienting test probes in a wiring test system to engage contact points on a circuit board, the steps that include

a) providing a wiring integrity verification plate means the plate means being a thin insulative base plate, and providing multiple contact pads to have upwardly domed surfaces and the pads and leads attached to the plate,

b) orienting each lead to extend between and interconnect two of the contact pads, whereby multiple circuit sections are formed on the plate, each circuit section including two pads interconnected by a lead,

c) and locating the two pads of each circuit section to be contacted by two probes of the wiring test system for providing an electrical continuity test via that circuit section, when those two probes are correctly located relative to contact points on a production circuit board for testing the production circuit board,

d) and, for the majority of pads, providing the spacing between an interconnected pair of pads to be greater than the spacing between either pad of the pair and another nearby pad on the plate.

2. The method of claim 1 including effecting interengagement of two probes with the respective contact pads of each pair, and passing electrical current through the two probes, the two pads of each pair, and said lead interconnecting the two pads, to thereby verify the positioning of the probes to be subsequently engaged with contact points of a production circuit board.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein multiple pairs of said pads and probes are employed, and wherein the wiring test system includes a continuity tester and multiple wires of specified series inter-connection configuration between the probes and the continuity tester, to establish multiple closed circuits, and including the step of passing electrical current through said closed circuits to thereby verify the integrity of said connection configuration of said multiple wires.

4. The method of claim 1 including locating said contact pads to be presented at one side of the plate.

5. The method of claim 1 including connecting only two contact pads with any one lead.

6. The method of claim 1 including locating said interconnected pads of each pair to be out of circuit interconnection correspondence to test points of the production circuit board.

7. The method of claim 1 including providing said pads to have the same substantially circular size, and providing said leads to have less width than the pad diameters.

8. The method of claim 7 including locating said pads to be outstanding from the plate at one side thereof to be domed outwardly from the side, and locating said leads to be outstanding from the plate at said side and to lesser extent than the pads.