Method and system suitable for fast alignment of first PCB of flying probe testing machine and flying probe testing machine

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of high-precision measuring equipment, and particularly relates to a method and system suitable for fast alignment of a first PCB of a flying probe testing machine and the flying probe testing machine. Comprising the scale value of the alignment point of the plate edge on the scale and the preset distance value from the alignment point to the plate edge, then the actual coordinate of the alignment point is calculated according to the information, and the test probe is controlled to move to the coordinate to achieve rapid alignment. The invention further provides a system for executing the method. The system comprises an information acquisition module, a position calculation module and a control module. In addition, the flying probe testing machine adopts the system, so that the first PCB can be quickly and accurately aligned, and the testing efficiency and accuracy are improved. According to the technical scheme, the method does not need to depend on preset alignment point coordinates, and has high flexibility and adaptability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of high-precision measurement equipment, and particularly relates to a method, a system and a flying probe tester for quickly aligning the first PCB board of a flying probe tester. Background Art

[0002] In the electronic manufacturing industry, flying probe testers are widely used to detect the continuity of circuits on PCBs (printed circuit boards). In the prior art, a flying probe tester usually includes four independently movable test axes, which are distributed in pairs on both sides of a PCB board fixture. These test axes are equipped with test probes. Through software control, the test probes move within the front and back areas of the PCB board to be tested, contact the test points and apply voltage and current, and judge the circuit continuity according to the obtained signal feedback. In order to improve the test accuracy, the PCB board needs to be aligned before the test. Usually, a CCD camera is used to capture the preset alignment points on the PCB board as the test reference.

[0003] However, the alignment method of the existing flying probe tester has obvious defects. On the one hand, the alignment process depends on the CCD camera blindly searching for alignment points on the PCB board, which often takes a long time. Especially when dealing with complex or large PCB boards, the alignment efficiency becomes the key factor restricting the test speed. On the other hand, for PCB boards without preset alignment points or with special markings on the alignment points, the existing alignment methods are inadequate, increasing the operation difficulty and time cost. In addition, with the diversification and complexity of PCB board designs, the existing alignment methods also show deficiencies in adaptability and flexibility, and cannot meet the requirements of efficient and accurate testing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method, a system and a flying probe tester for quickly aligning the first PCB board of a flying probe tester, so as to solve the problem that the existing flying probe tester blindly searches for alignment points during alignment, resulting in long alignment time and low work efficiency.

[0005] The present invention realizes the above purpose through the following technical solutions:

[0006] In the first aspect, the present invention provides a method for quickly aligning the first PCB board of a flying probe tester. The flying probe tester has test probes and a fixture for placing the PCB board to be tested. A scale is provided on the guide rail of the fixture along its extending direction, and the PCB board to be tested is placed at any position on the scale. The method includes:

[0007] Obtaining the position information of the PCB board to be tested; the position information includes the scale value of the alignment point of the board edge on the scale, and the distance value from any alignment point preset on the PCB board to the board edge;

[0008] Determine the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points according to the scale value, the distance value, and the actual coordinates of the reference point preset on the scale.

[0009] Receive the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points and control the test probe to move to any pair of alignment points to achieve alignment.

[0010] Further, before obtaining the position information of the PCB board to be tested, the method further includes: selecting a PCB board having at least one right-angle side as the PCB board to be tested, and using the vertex of the right-angle side on the PCB board to be tested as the alignment point of the board edge on the scale.

[0011] Further, the actual coordinates are determined based on the mechanical coordinate system of the flying probe tester.

[0012] Further, after determining the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points, the method further includes: updating the position information of the PCB board to be tested and the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points to the configuration parameter set, and forming a one-to-one correspondence between the PCB board to be tested, any pair of alignment points, the scale value, the distance value, and the actual coordinates in the configuration parameter set.

[0013] Further, the determining the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points according to the scale value, the distance value, and the actual coordinates of the reference point preset on the scale includes:

[0014] Taking the 0 scale point on the scale as the reference point, denoting the actual coordinates of the reference point as (x0, y0), denoting the scale value of the alignment point of the board edge on the scale as K1, and denoting the distance values from any pair of alignment points on the PCB board to be tested to the board edge as x and y respectively;

[0015] Determine the actual coordinates of the alignment point as (x0 - K1, y0), and determine the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points as (x0 - K1 + x, y0 + y).

[0016] Further, the receiving the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points and controlling the test probe to move to any pair of alignment points to achieve alignment includes:

[0017] Receive the actual coordinates (x0 - K1 + x, y0 + y), and control the test probe to move a distance A1 along the extension direction of the scale and a distance B1 along the vertical direction of the extension direction of the scale. The expressions are:

[0018] A1 = |x0 - K1 + x - x1|

[0019] B1 = |y0 + y - y1|.

[0020] Further, after receiving the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points to control the test probe to move to any pair of alignment points for alignment, the method further includes:

[0021] Obtaining the distance values from the remaining alignment points on the PCB to be tested to the board edge;

[0022] According to the distance values from any pair of alignment points to the board edge and the remaining alignment points to the board edge, and based on the actual coordinates of the remaining alignment points;

[0023] Receiving the actual coordinates of the remaining alignment points to control the test probe to move to the remaining alignment points for alignment.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a system applicable to quickly align the first PCB board of a flying probe tester, which is applied to execute the method described in any one of the above, and the system includes:

[0025] An information acquisition module, configured to acquire the position information of the PCB to be tested; the position information includes the scale value of the alignment point of the board edge on the scale, and the distance value from any pair of alignment points preset on the PCB to be tested to the board edge;

[0026] A position calculation module, configured to determine the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points according to the scale value, the distance value, and the actual coordinates of a reference point preset on the scale;

[0027] A control module, which receives the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points to control the test probe to move to any pair of alignment points for alignment.

[0028] Further, the system further includes a camera system, configured to obtain the current position of the test probe and the position of the alignment point after alignment through the center of the camera's field of view.

[0029] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a flying probe tester, including the system applicable to quickly align the first PCB board of a flying probe tester as described above.

[0030] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0031] 1. By introducing a scale and a preset distance value of the alignment points, the present invention realizes the quick alignment of the first PCB board of the flying probe tester, without relying on the preset coordinates of the alignment points, greatly improving the flexibility and adaptability of alignment, and is especially applicable to PCB boards without preset alignment points.

[0032] 2. The present invention uses the camera system to display the test video information in real time and controls it at the center of the camera's field of view. By calculating the obtained actual coordinates of the alignment points, the test probe is precisely controlled to move to the alignment points, thereby realizing precise alignment and improving the accuracy and reliability of the test.

[0033] 3. The present invention provides data support for subsequent tests by updating the configuration parameter set and recording the position information of the PCB to be tested, the actual coordinates of the alignment points, etc., facilitating the automation and intelligence of the test process and further improving the working efficiency of the flying probe tester. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic flow chart of a method for quickly aligning the first PCB board applicable to a flying probe tester in the present invention.

[0035] Figure 2 FIG. is another schematic flow chart of a method for quickly aligning the first PCB board applicable to a flying probe tester in the present invention.

[0036] Figure 3 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of the alignment position between the PCB to be tested and the scale in the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 In FIG., 1, scale; 2, PCB to be tested; 3, alignment point. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0038] The following further describes the present application in detail with reference to the drawings. It is necessary to point out here that the following detailed embodiments are only used to further illustrate the present application and should not be construed as limiting the protection scope of the present application. Those skilled in the art can make some non-essential improvements and adjustments to the present application based on the above application content.

[0039] Embodiment 1

[0040] As Figures 1-3 shown, this embodiment proposes a method for quickly aligning the first PCB board applicable to a flying probe tester. The flying probe tester has test probes and a fixture for placing the PCB to be tested. A scale 1 is provided on the guide rail of the fixture along its extending direction, and the PCB to be tested 2 is placed at any position of the scale 1; the flying probe tester also has a camera system (such as a high-resolution CCD camera) that can display the video information of the flying probe test.

[0041] In this embodiment, the PCB to be tested includes several alignment points 3 (Mark points). The Mark points are provided during the PCB board design for subsequent alignment during flying probe testing and chip mounting of the PCB board. Generally, it is determined by the PCB board process and there are at least 4, distributed at the four corners. And this Mark point can also be a pad arbitrarily defined by the user as an alignment point.

[0042] The method includes the following steps:

[0043] S1. Select a PCB board with at least one right-angled side as the PCB board to be tested. Use the vertex of the right-angled side on the PCB board to be tested as the alignment point of the board edge on the scale. Specifically, when implemented, the board edge is specifically the two sides of the right-angled side. Specifically, when implemented, even if the PCB board to be tested is an irregular board, the clamping edges need to be retained. The purpose of the clamping edges is for flying probe testing and subsequent placement of components by the pick-and-place machine. In this scenario, the right-angled side is specifically two adjacent clamping edges.

[0044] S2. Obtain the position information of the PCB board to be tested. The position information includes the scale value of the alignment point of the board edge on the scale, and the distance values from any pair of alignment points preset on the PCB board to the board edge. There are two distance values, namely the distances from the two sides to the alignment points.

[0045] It should be emphasized that in this technical solution, the user can place the PCB board at any position, and only need to fix it at the corresponding position of the fixture. The scale value of the alignment point is read through the scale.

[0046] S3. Determine the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points according to the scale value, the distance value, and the actual coordinates of the reference point preset on the scale. It further includes the following steps:

[0047] S3.1. Take the 0 scale point on the scale as the reference point, and record the actual coordinates of the reference point as (x0, y0), which is pre-recorded through the camera system of the flying probe tester; record the scale value of the alignment point of the board edge on the scale as K1, and record the distance values from any pair of alignment points on the PCB board to be tested to the board edge as x and y respectively.

[0048] S3.2. Determine the actual coordinates of the alignment point as (x0 - K1, y0), and determine the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points as (x0 - K1 + x, y0 + y).

[0049] S4. Receive the actual coordinates of any pair of alignment points and control the test probe to move to any pair of alignment points to achieve alignment. It further includes the following steps: Receive the actual coordinates (x0 - K1 + x, y0 + y), and control the test probe to move a distance A1 along the extending direction of the scale and a distance B1 along the vertical direction of the extending direction of the scale. The expressions are as follows:

[0050] A1 = |x0 - K1 + x - x1|

[0051] B1 = |y0 + y - y1|.

[0052] It should be noted that in the above solution, the actual coordinates are determined based on the mechanical coordinate system of the flying probe tester.

[0053] S5. Obtain the distance value from the remaining alignment points on the PCB under test to the board edge; based on the distance values from any alignment point to the board edge and from the remaining alignment points to the board edge, determine the actual coordinates of the remaining alignment points; receive the actual coordinates of the remaining alignment points and control the test probe to move to the remaining alignment points to achieve alignment.

[0054] It should be noted that in the above solution, in steps S4 and S5, the alignment process is based on the obtained alignment point coordinates. Through the test probe control system of the flying probe tester, the probe is controlled to move from the current position to the alignment point position in the mechanical coordinate system. The specific alignment process can be displayed in real time from the video image of the camera system. The camera system is the CCD camera on the flying probe tester to obtain real-time video images.

[0055] Combined with Figure 3 , in specific implementation, the scale can be designed according to the scale of... 20... 10... 0... 10... 20..., and the unit is mm. K1 represents the reading of the scale where the lower left corner of the board in the figure aligns after the PCB board is placed arbitrarily.

[0056] It can be understood that in the specific implementation of the above technology, by setting a scale on the fixture, presetting the actual coordinates of the 0 scale of the scale in the mechanical coordinate system of the flying probe tester, and then inputting the K1 value of the alignment point and the distance values (from the two edges of the board) of the alignment points to be aligned on the PCB board, the rapid alignment of the PCB board can be achieved. And the entire alignment process is controlled at the center of the field of view of the camera system. The camera is controlled to move to the alignment point (Mark point) for alignment. And the entire alignment process only needs to directly control the probe for alignment after obtaining the alignment points, thus greatly improving the alignment efficiency; solving the problem of rapid alignment when the first PCB board on the flying probe tester has no alignment points relative to the actual coordinates of the flying probe tester.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment, after determining the actual coordinates of any alignment point, the above method further includes: updating the position information of the PCB under test and the actual coordinates of any alignment point to the configuration parameter set, and forming a one-to-one correspondence relationship of the PCB under test, any alignment point, scale value, distance value, and actual coordinates in the configuration parameter set.

[0058] In the above embodiments, by setting the configuration parameter set, the alignment speed of subsequent tests is greatly improved from the perspective of efficiency. During the flying probe test, the alignment of the first PCB board is a key step, and its accuracy and speed directly affect the efficiency of the entire test process. By storing the key alignment information (including the position information of the PCB board, the actual coordinates of the alignment points, etc.) in the configuration parameter set, the test system can quickly call this information during subsequent tests without having to perform cumbersome alignment calculations every time, thus saving a lot of time. Secondly, from the perspective of accuracy, it helps to improve the test accuracy. In actual tests, due to the possible slight dimensional differences or placement position deviations of the PCB board, these factors may affect the alignment accuracy. By associating and verifying the actual alignment coordinates with the preset distance values and scale values, the system can promptly detect and correct these deviations to ensure that the alignment of each test is accurate and error-free.

[0059] Embodiment 2

[0060] This embodiment proposes a system for quickly aligning the first PCB board of a flying probe tester, which is applied to execute the method of Embodiment 1 as described above. The system includes:

[0061] An information acquisition module for acquiring the position information of the PCB board to be tested; the position information includes the scale value of the alignment point of the board edge on the scale and the distance value from any alignment point preset on the PCB board to be tested to the board edge.

[0062] In specific implementation, the information acquisition module specifically realizes the acquisition of test parameters, such as inputting the distance value from any alignment point on the PCB board to be tested to the board edge and the scale value K1 of the alignment point. The actual coordinates of the 0 scale point (reference point) on the scale are preset in the system in advance.

[0063] A position calculation module for determining the actual coordinates of any alignment point according to the scale value, the distance value, and the actual coordinates of the reference point preset on the scale;

[0064] A control module that receives the actual coordinates of any alignment point and controls the test probe to move to any alignment point to achieve alignment.

[0065] In a preferred embodiment, the above alignment system further includes a camera system for displaying the video information of the flying probe test, and obtaining the current position of the test probe (the real-time position of the test probe before alignment) and the position of the alignment point after alignment through the center of the camera's field of view.

[0066] In specific implementation, in the above alignment system, the position error of the 0 scale position of the scale relative to the mechanical coordinate system of the flying probe tester can be within 20 mm, because the field of view center range of the camera is 20 mm, which greatly reduces the position accuracy requirements for scale installation.

[0067] Example 3

[0068] This embodiment provides a flying probe tester, which includes a system applicable to quickly align the first PCB board of the flying probe tester as described in the above Embodiment 2.

[0069] Those of ordinary skill in the art can realize that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are executed in a hardware or software manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of this application.

[0070] In addition, the functional modules in each embodiment of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically alone, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0071] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, rather than to limit them; although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of each embodiment of this application.

Claims

1. A method for quickly aligning the first PCB board of a flying probe tester, wherein the flying probe tester has a test probe and a fixture for placing the PCB board to be tested, characterized in that: A ruler is provided on the guide rail of the fixture and along its extension direction, and the PCB board to be tested is placed at any position of the ruler; the method comprises: Acquire the position information of the PCB to be tested; the position information includes the scale value of the alignment point of the board edge on the ruler, and the distance value from any alignment point preset on the PCB to be tested to the board edge; Determine the actual coordinates of any alignment point according to the scale value, the distance value and the actual coordinates of the reference point preset on the ruler; The actual coordinates of any alignment point are received to control the test probe to move to any alignment point to achieve alignment.

2. The method for rapid alignment of the first PCB board of a flying probe tester according to claim 1 is characterized in that: Before obtaining the position information of the PCB board to be tested, the method further includes: selecting a PCB board with at least one right-angled side as the PCB board to be tested, and using the vertex of the right-angled side on the PCB board to be tested as the alignment point of the board edge on the ruler.

3. The method for rapid alignment of the first PCB board of a flying probe tester according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The actual coordinates are determined based on a mechanical coordinate system of the flying probe tester.

4. The method for rapid alignment of the first PCB board of a flying probe tester according to claim 1 is characterized in that: After determining the actual coordinates of any one of the alignment points, the method further includes: updating the position information of the PCB board to be tested and the actual coordinates of any one of the alignment points into a configuration parameter set, and forming a one-to-one correspondence between the PCB board to be tested, any one of the alignment points, the scale value, the distance value, and the actual coordinates in the configuration parameter set.

5. The method for rapid alignment of the first PCB board of a flying probe tester according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The determining the actual coordinates of any alignment point according to the scale value, the distance value, and the actual coordinates of a reference point preset on the ruler includes: The 0 scale point on the ruler is used as the reference point, and the actual coordinates of the reference point are recorded as (x0, y0). The scale value of the alignment point on the ruler at the edge of the board is recorded as K1. The distance values ​​from any alignment point on the PCB to be tested to the edge of the board are recorded as x and y respectively. The actual coordinates of the alignment point are determined to be (x0-K1, y0), and the actual coordinates of any alignment point are determined to be (x0-K1+x, y0+y).

6. The method for rapid alignment of the first PCB board of a flying probe tester according to claim 5 is characterized in that: The receiving the actual coordinates of any alignment point and controlling the test probe to move to any alignment point to achieve alignment includes: Receive the actual coordinates (x0-K1+x, y0+y), control the test probe to move a distance A1 along the extension direction of the ruler, and a distance B1 in the vertical direction of the extension direction of the ruler, and the expression is: A1=|x0-K1+x–x1| B1=|y0+y-y1|.

7. The method for rapid alignment of the first PCB board of a flying probe tester according to claim 2 is characterized in that: After receiving the actual coordinates of any alignment point and controlling the test probe to move to any alignment point to achieve alignment, the method further includes: Get the distance value from the remaining alignment points on the PCB to be tested to the edge of the board; According to the distance values ​​from any one of the alignment points to the edge of the board and from the remaining alignment points to the edge of the board, according to the actual coordinates of the remaining alignment points; The actual coordinates of the remaining alignment points are received to control the test probe to move to the remaining alignment points to achieve alignment.

8. A system suitable for quickly aligning the first PCB board of a flying probe tester, used to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The system comprises: An information acquisition module is used to acquire the position information of the PCB to be tested; the position information includes the scale value of the alignment point of the board edge on the ruler, and the distance value from any alignment point preset on the PCB to be tested to the board edge; A position calculation module, used to determine the actual coordinates of any alignment point according to the scale value, the distance value and the actual coordinates of the reference point preset on the ruler; The control module receives the actual coordinates of any alignment point and controls the test probe to move to any alignment point to achieve alignment.

9. The system for rapid alignment of the first PCB board of a flying probe tester according to claim 8 is characterized in that: The system also includes a camera system, which is used to obtain the current position of the test probe and the position of the alignment point after the alignment is completed through the center of the camera field of view.

10. A flying probe tester, characterized in that: It comprises the system for rapid alignment of the first PCB board of a flying probe tester as described in claim 8.

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