A modular manufacturing method for tilt sensors

Abstract

This invention provides a modular manufacturing method for tilt sensors, relating to the field of sensor manufacturing technology. The method includes: pre-assembling a signal processing module of the tilt sensor, which has basic angle detection and data processing output functions, onto a PCB sub-board, with corresponding first communication and mounting terminals pre-reserved on the PCB sub-board; assembling other functional modules of the tilt sensor, excluding the signal processing module, onto a PCB main board with a pre-designed shape and layout according to product requirements, with second communication and mounting terminals pre-reserved on the PCB main board to match the first communication and mounting terminals; and finally, assembling the PCB sub-board onto the PCB main board. The advantages are reduced impact of customization requirements on the overall design, lower overall cost, easier design modification during design changes, reduced unnecessary redesigns, and if design changes are needed due to cost or delivery time issues of key components, only individual modules need to be modified, without changing the entire product design, resulting in high efficiency and thoroughness.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of sensor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a modular manufacturing method for tilt sensors. Background Technology

[0002] In the current design of tilt sensor products, although different models of tilt sensors are similar in principle, they are all independent entities in physical form. Therefore, although some process steps are the same during production, different tooling fixtures are still required for producing tilt sensor products of different models. This means that even if tilt sensors of different models have the same process, they cannot be produced together, which greatly reduces production efficiency.

[0003] For example, key processes in the production of tilt sensor products, such as aging, temperature compensation, and accuracy calibration, are time-consuming, but the similarity of their steps can reach over 90%. Although these highly similar key processes all perform the same function within the same step, different models of tilt sensors have different shapes and require different PCB board shapes. Therefore, they require different tooling fixtures for clamping, making them incompatible and resulting in a large amount of repetitive work and a waste of human and material resources. Specifically, these include:

[0004] (1) Different models of tilt sensor products require frequent switching of tooling fixtures and connection of power supply and communication cables, which wastes time;

[0005] (2) Since different models of tilt sensor products have different shapes, are special and irregular, the number of products can often be arranged in a limited space of aging, temperature compensation and testing equipment. Unlike a regular square, multiple products cannot be arranged in an orthogonal way to improve efficiency.

[0006] (3) For the same product design scheme, different customer customization requirements (appearance, factory custom settings, etc.) will result in many different models of the same product. If the design needs to be changed, a lot of repetitive design and production work will be generated. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a modular manufacturing method for tilt sensors, comprising:

[0008] Step S1: The signal processing module of the tilt sensor with basic angle detection and data processing output functions is pre-assembled independently onto a PCB sub-board, and corresponding first communication and mounting terminals are reserved on the PCB sub-board.

[0009] Step S2: Assemble the tilt sensor's other functional modules, excluding the signal processing module, onto a PCB motherboard with a pre-designed shape and layout according to product requirements, and reserve a second communication and installation terminal on the PCB motherboard that is compatible with the first communication and installation terminal;

[0010] Step S3: Connect and assemble the first communication and mounting terminal with the compatible second communication and mounting terminal to assemble the PCB sub-board onto the PCB main board.

[0011] Preferably, the signal processing module includes an accelerometer, a data processor, and its peripheral circuits and interfaces.

[0012] Preferably, the signal processing module further includes a potentiometer, a magnetic encoder, and a communication module.

[0013] Preferably, the first communication and mounting terminal and the second communication and mounting terminal include at least one of pads, pins, sockets and flying wires.

[0014] Preferably, before performing step S3, the method further includes:

[0015] Each prefabricated PCB sub-board is mounted on a suitable tooling plate to uniformly perform aging, temperature compensation, and precision calibration processes on each PCB sub-board in batches.

[0016] Preferably, the PCB motherboard has reserved installation space, and in step S3, the corresponding PCB daughterboard is attached to the installation space of the PCB motherboard using a surface mount method.

[0017] Preferably, in step S3, the PCB sub-board is suspended above the PCB main board by means of pin insertion.

[0018] Preferably, after performing step S3, the method further includes:

[0019] An external control circuit is added to the PCB motherboard, followed by potting and sealing to manufacture the tilt sensor.

[0020] Preferably, the peripheral control circuit includes at least one of an electromagnetic interference suppression circuit, an anti-vibration circuit, a digital-to-analog converter circuit, and an alarm switch circuit.

[0021] Preferably, the PCB sub-board is provided with a number of tooling fixing holes at its center and / or edge for mounting on the matching tooling plate, and each tooling fixing hole meets the design requirements for vibration, waterproofing, communication and electronic interference.

[0022] The above technical solution has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0023] 1. By designing and assembling the signal processing module of the tilt sensor independently onto the PCB sub-board, only each PCB sub-board needs to participate in the key and time-consuming processes, which enables mass production, resulting in high overall production efficiency and significantly reduced production time.

[0024] 2. Reduce the impact of customization requirements on the overall tilt sensor product and lower the overall cost;

[0025] 3. It is easier to modify the design when the design scheme changes, reducing unnecessary redesign. For example, if the design is changed due to the cost or delivery time of key components, only the independent signal processing module needs to be changed, without changing all the specific product designs, which is efficient and thorough.

[0026] 4. Independent signal processing modules can also be directly integrated into the customer's control circuit, providing another solution, expanding the product range, and giving customers more choices;

[0027] 5. The tilt sensor's signal processing module is small in size, allowing more signal processing modules to be installed in a limited equipment space. The uniform size makes operation more convenient. It also standardizes the tooling fixtures for key processes such as aging, temperature compensation, and accuracy testing, reducing hardware investment and replacing the previous situation where "different products required different tooling fixtures" and "the same process required tooling fixtures to be switched when changing orders," thus reducing changeover time. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a modular manufacturing method for tilt sensors, as a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment; other embodiments that conform to the spirit of the present invention may also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, based on the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art, a modular production method for tilt sensors is provided, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes:

[0031] Step S1: The signal processing module of the tilt sensor with basic angle detection and data processing output functions is pre-assembled independently onto a PCB sub-board, and corresponding first communication and mounting terminals are reserved on the PCB sub-board.

[0032] Step S2: Assemble the tilt sensor's other functional modules, excluding the signal processing module, onto a PCB motherboard, and reserve a second communication and mounting terminal on the PCB motherboard that is compatible with the first communication and mounting terminal.

[0033] Step S3: Connect and assemble the first communication and mounting terminal with the corresponding second communication and mounting terminal to assemble the PCB daughterboard onto the PCB motherboard.

[0034] Specifically, in this embodiment, the signal processing module can be designed and manufactured before the model design of the tilt sensor product. In other words, the signal processing part on the existing tilt sensor product PCB board is designed as an independent module, namely the signal processing module. The signal processing part may include an accelerometer, a data processor, peripheral circuitry of the data processor (such as a crystal clock), and a corresponding data power interface. Other components, such as potentiometers, magnetic encoders, and wireless or wired communication modules, can also be added according to actual needs. The data processor is preferably a microcontroller.

[0035] The aforementioned independent signal processing module can be designed and formed using a miniaturized and standardized PCB. For example, when the tilt sensor product has a regular shape (such as square or round), the signal processing module can be designed on a corresponding square or round PCB sub-board, with pads, pins, connectors, and flying wires reserved as the first communication and mounting terminals for connection to the subsequent tilt sensor product's PCB main board. It is understandable that the tilt sensor product's PCB main board also needs to have corresponding pads, pins, connectors, and flying wires reserved as the second communication and mounting terminals for connection to the PCB sub-board.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, before performing step S3, the method further includes:

[0037] Each prefabricated PCB sub-board is mounted on a suitable tooling plate to uniformly perform batch aging, temperature compensation, and precision calibration processes on each PCB sub-board.

[0038] Specifically, in this embodiment, when mass-producing various models of tilt sensor products, multiple PCB sub-boards (independent signal processing modules) can be prepared in advance and stored in inventory for later production testing.

[0039] Furthermore, in the production of tilt sensor products, considering that calibration, vibration testing, and waterproof testing are all performed after aging, temperature compensation, and accuracy calibration, and that the PCB motherboard of the tilt sensor product generally does not require aging and temperature compensation testing, the reason why the signal processing part is designed as an independent module in this invention is also due to the requirements of the production process. When pre-producing the PCB sub-board as an independent module, in addition to completing routine vibration and communication tests, the most critical steps are aging, temperature compensation, and accuracy calibration. Since the core functional components of the tilt sensor product are already integrated on the PCB sub-board, it already has the basic function of detecting and outputting angle signals. Therefore, with the standard modular structural design and the matching power supply and communication boards for testing, aging, temperature compensation, and accuracy calibration can be performed uniformly in large batches. In this way, only a fixture board matching the type of independent signal processing module needs to be prepared. In other words, multiple signal processing modules only need to be installed on the fixture board for batch aging, temperature compensation, and accuracy calibration, without the need to design fixtures for each type of tilt sensor product. More specifically, the signal processing modules are preferably designed in a regular shape, including but not limited to square or circular shapes, so that multiple signal processing modules can be arranged orthogonally on the fixture plate, and more signal processing modules can be accommodated on one fixture plate, effectively improving testing efficiency.

[0040] Especially for the time-consuming aging and temperature compensation process, it can be separated from the entire process and carried out separately. In other words, after preparing multiple PCB sub-boards in advance, each PCB sub-board can be installed on the tooling board for aging and temperature compensation. At the same time, PCB motherboards integrating other functional modules of tilt sensor products, except for the signal processing module, can be designed and produced in batches. This allows the production and testing processes of PCB sub-boards and PCB motherboards to be carried out simultaneously, which can significantly reduce the total production time of each tilt sensor and effectively improve production efficiency.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the PCB motherboard has reserved mounting space, and in step S3, the corresponding PCB daughterboard is attached to the mounting space of the PCB motherboard by means of a surface mount.

[0042] Specifically, in this embodiment, when designing the tilt sensor product model, the appearance of the tilt sensor product needs to be determined according to the customer's installation, accuracy and other requirements. This further determines the shape and outline of the PCB motherboard, and a suitable location is reserved on the PCB motherboard to install the PCB sub-board. The shape of this installation space is preferably the same as the shape of the prefabricated PCB sub-board, and it also needs to pass vibration, waterproof, communication and electromagnetic interference tests. At the same time, a second communication and installation terminal is also set around the reserved installation space on the PCB motherboard to cooperate with the first communication and installation terminal of the PCB sub-board. The first communication and installation terminal and the second communication and installation terminal include, but are not limited to, pads, pins, sockets and flying wires.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the patch connection method described above, in step S3, the PCB daughter board can also be suspended above the PCB motherboard via pin insertion. When using the suspended connection method, no blank installation space needs to be reserved on the PCB motherboard, but a second communication and installation terminal that mates with the first communication and installation terminal of the PCB daughter board still needs to be reserved. The specific connection method used between the PCB daughter board and the PCB motherboard is determined by other requirements of the product casing space and is not limited here.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after performing step S3, the method further includes:

[0045] An external control circuit is added to the PCB motherboard, followed by potting and sealing to manufacture the tilt sensor.

[0046] Specifically, in this embodiment, in addition to the reserved mounting space for the PCB sub-board, the PCB motherboard may also be equipped with peripheral control circuitry according to functional requirements, followed by subsequent processes such as potting and sealing. The peripheral control circuitry includes at least one of the following: an electromagnetic interference suppression circuit, a vibration suppression circuit, a digital-to-analog converter circuit, and an alarm switch circuit.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of tooling fixing holes are further provided at the center and / or edge of the PCB sub-board for mounting on a suitable tooling plate, and each tooling fixing hole meets the design requirements for vibration, waterproofing, communication and electronic interference.

[0048] Specifically, in this embodiment, since the shape and on-chip component interfaces of the independent signal processing module are all standardized, the tooling fixing holes on it also need to be standardized. For example, a square PCB sub-board can have tooling fixing holes at the four corners, and a round PCB sub-board can have tooling fixing holes at the center and the edges. It should be noted that the opening of these tooling fixing holes must meet the design requirements of vibration, waterproofing, communication and electromagnetic interference in advance.

[0049] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the implementation and protection scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should realize that any equivalent substitutions and obvious changes made using the content of this specification and illustrations should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular manufacturing method for a tilt sensor, characterized in that, When mass-producing various models of tilt sensor products, multiple PCB sub-boards are prepared in advance and stored in inventory for later use; the method includes: Step S1: The signal processing module of the tilt sensor with basic angle detection and data processing output functions is pre-assembled independently onto a PCB sub-board, and corresponding first communication and mounting terminals are reserved on the PCB sub-board; the signal processing module includes an accelerometer, a data processor and its peripheral circuits and interfaces; Step S2: Assemble the tilt sensor's other functional modules, excluding the signal processing module, onto a PCB motherboard with a pre-designed shape and layout according to product requirements, and reserve a second communication and installation terminal on the PCB motherboard that is compatible with the first communication and installation terminal; Each prefabricated PCB sub-board is mounted on a suitable tooling plate to uniformly perform aging, temperature compensation and precision calibration processes on each PCB sub-board in batches. Step S3: Connect and assemble the first communication and mounting terminal with the compatible second communication and mounting terminal to assemble the PCB sub-board onto the PCB main board. An external control circuit is added to the PCB motherboard, followed by potting and sealing to manufacture the tilt sensor.

2. The modular production method for tilt sensors according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal processing module also includes a potentiometer, a magnetic encoder, and a communication module.

3. The modular production method for tilt sensors according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first communication and mounting terminal and the second communication and mounting terminal include at least one of pads, pins, sockets and flying wires.

4. The modular production method for tilt sensors according to claim 3, characterized in that, The PCB motherboard has reserved installation space. In step S3, the corresponding PCB daughterboard is attached to the installation space of the PCB motherboard using a surface mount method.

5. The modular production method for tilt sensors according to claim 3, characterized in that, In step S3, the PCB sub-board is suspended above the PCB main board by means of pin insertion.

6. The modular production method for tilt sensors according to claim 1, characterized in that, The peripheral control circuit includes at least one of an anti-electromagnetic interference circuit, an anti-vibration circuit, a digital-to-analog conversion circuit, and an alarm switch circuit.

7. The modular production method for tilt sensors according to claim 1, characterized in that, The PCB sub-board is also provided with several tooling fixing holes at its center and / or edge for mounting on the matching tooling plate. Each tooling fixing hole meets the design requirements for vibration, waterproofing, communication and electronic interference.

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