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:
Feb. 20, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 26, 1999
Kevin G. Chandler, Loveland, CO (US);
Barry A. Alcorn, Fort Collins, CO (US);
Bryan D. Boswell, Loveland, CO (US);
John M. Heumann, Loveland, CO (US);
Ed O. Schlotzhauer, Loveland, CO (US);
Agilent Technologies, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A method for testing node isolation on a circuit board. The method utilizes an automated test system having a plurality of test channels, wherein each test channel has a digital driver with a first input and a first output, and a digital receiver with a second output and a second input. The second input of the receiver is coupled to the first output of the driver, to a number of switches, and to a test probe. The test probe is configured to couple the driver and receiver to one of a plurality of nodes on a circuit board. The number of switches are configured to selectively couple the first output and second input to ground. During a node isolation test, each node of a test node group is coupled to one of the test channels. But for a selected node of the test node group, each node of the test node group is coupled to ground via the number of switches of the test channels coupled to the nodes. Thereafter, a test signal is applied to the selected node via the digital driver of a first test channel which is coupled to the selected node. It is then determined if the digital receiver of the first test channel indicates that the selected node is coupled to ground, and whether the selected node is isolated from the remaining nodes of the test node group. If the selected node is not isolated from the remaining nodes of the test node group, the nodes of the test node group are released from ground, a test signal is once again applied to the selected node, and a determination is made as to whether the selected node is grounded to thereby determine if the selected node is directly connected to ground. Finally, if the selected node is not directly connected to ground, varying subsets of the remaining nodes are coupled to ground, a test signal is once again applied to the selected node, and a determination is made as to whether the selected node is grounded to thereby determine which nodes of the test node group the selected node is isolated from.