Intel Corporation

Navid Shahriari

Ram S Viswanath

Nasser Barabi

Martin M Maxwell

Mike Mayberry

A test contactor having a heat slug for removing heat from an electronic device engaging the contactor. The heat slug is positioned in the test contactor so that a thermally conductive surface of the heat slug will intimately contact a heat-radiating bottom surface of the electronic device when the electronic device is in position for testing by the test contactor. A separate heat slug may also be provided for contacting a heat-radiating top surface of the electronic device. Either or both of the heat slugs may be spring loaded or otherwise movably constrained to maximize surface contact with the electronic device by self-positioning when all elements are placed in proper test position. Improved thermal contact may also be achieved by the use of compliant material between the respective contact surfaces of the heat slug and electronic device. Failure induced by stress at the corners of the electronic device may be minimized by making the contact area of the heat slug smaller than the affected surface area of the electronic device. Heat transfer may be further improved by configuring the heat slug with cooling fins and by using convection flow past the heat slug.

Thermally enhanced test contactor

A zero insertion force card edge connector for a printed circuit board assembly tester. The test connector includes a plurality of electrical contacts located within a slot of a housing. The contacts are connected to a test motherboard by a flexible circuit board. Also located within the slot is a plate which can be moved between an open position and a closed position by an actuator. When the plate is in the open position a printed circuit board assembly can be inserted into the test connector without having to overcome any spring forces of the connector. The circuit board assembly is inserted into the slot so that the contacts are aligned with surface pads located along an edge of the circuit board. The actuator is then actuated to move the plate into the closed position and push the contacts into the surface pads. The surface pads of the board are electrically connected to the test motherboard through the contacts and flexible circuit board. After the circuit board assembly is tested the actuator is again actuated to move the plate back to the open position to disengage the contacts from the surface pads. The circuit board assembly can then be removed from the slot so that another assembly can be tested.

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Chandler, AZ, United States of America

Navid Shahriari