The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 25, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 31, 1997
Mohamad Ali Saouli, Moreno Valley, CA (US);
Friedrich Stadelmayer, Victorville, CA (US);
Francesco Sacca, Rialto, CA (US);
GTE Communication Systems Corporation, Irving, TX (US);
Abstract
A method for testing printed circuit boards (PCBs). The PCBs are initially transported to a reorienting apparatus that aligns the PCBs to accommodate automated test equipment (ATE). The ATE consists essentially of two stations interconnected by a conveyor. At the first station testing of PCBs occurs sequentially at two test wells that are vertically movable between respective idle and testing positions. Upon being discharged from the first test station, a predetermined number of PCBs are concatenated along the conveyor that connects the first test station to the second test station. The concatenated PCBs are delivered to the second test station that simultaneously performs a second test on the predetermined number of PCBs. Inasmuch as the first test is of a duration substantially shorter than the second test, the concatenation of a number of PCBs prior to performance of the second test compensates for the difference in respective durations.