A rotary continuous feeding FCT test mechanism for PCBA board

Abstract

The application discloses a rotary continuous feeding FCT testing mechanism for a PCBA board, and belongs to the technical field of functional testing equipment, which comprises a base, an FCT testing table fixedly installed on the base, a lifting table slidingly installed on the base, a rotating seat rotatably installed on the lifting table, four installation base plates for placing PCBA boards which are circumferentially arranged on the rotating seat with the rotating seat axis as the center, and PCBA boards which are adsorbed on the installation base plates through negative pressure. A lower pressing space is reserved between the rotating seat and the FCT testing table, an inclined support frame is fixedly installed on the base, a material taking plate which can extend into the lower pressing space is slidingly installed on the support frame, a first rack is fixedly installed on the material taking plate, a gear which is in mesh with the first rack is rotatably installed on the base, and a second rack which is in mesh with the gear is fixedly installed on the lifting table. The lifting of the lifting table drives the material taking plate to automatically move into or out of the lower pressing space through the gear and the rack linkage, so that the automatic receiving and discharging of the PCBA board after the completion of the test is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of functional testing equipment technology, specifically relating to a rotary continuous feeding FCT testing mechanism for PCBA boards. Background Technology

[0002] FCT (Functional Testing) refers to a testing method that provides a simulated operating environment (stimuli and loads) to the test target board (PCBA: Printed Circuit Board), causing it to operate in various design states, thereby obtaining parameters for each state to verify the functionality of the PCBA board. FCT testing is an indispensable and critical step in the PCBA manufacturing process, directly determining product quality and the factory pass rate.

[0003] Currently, traditional PCBA board FCT testing mainly relies on manual operation. Operators must first remove the PCBA board to be tested from the production line, place it in the test fixture, manually adjust its position to ensure the test points are aligned with the probes, and then activate the test button to perform the functional test. After the test is completed, the tested PCBA board is manually removed and returned to the production line. This traditional manual testing method has the following significant drawbacks: Firstly, the positioning accuracy is poor. When manually placing and positioning the PCBA board, it relies on the operator's visual judgment and manual operation, making it impossible to accurately place the PCBA board in place in one go. The PCBA board is prone to slight displacement in the fixture, causing the test probes to fail to align precisely with the test points on the board, resulting in poor contact or signal acquisition distortion, and a high test misjudgment rate.

[0004] Secondly, the operating efficiency is low. The existing manual board placement method is cumbersome and has obvious breaks, making continuous production impossible. Operators need to first take out the tested product, then put in the product to be tested, and finally manually press the start button to start the test. The entire process takes about 8 seconds, while the actual testing time of the machine is only about 6 seconds. The excessive time wasted by human actions seriously restricts the overall efficiency of the production line.

[0005] Third, there is a lack of consistency in operation. Manual operation is greatly affected by human factors such as the operator's skill level, fatigue level, and work status, resulting in inconsistent operation quality between different shifts and different personnel. Unstable operation can easily lead to improper placement of PCBA boards or even damage to products, causing unnecessary material losses and increased costs.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a rotary continuous feeding FCT testing mechanism for PCBA boards to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a rotary continuous feeding FCT testing mechanism for PCBA boards to solve the problems in the prior art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: This invention discloses a rotary continuous feeding FCT testing mechanism for PCBA boards, comprising a base and an FCT testing stage fixedly mounted on the base. A lifting platform is slidably mounted on the base, and a rotating seat is rotatably mounted on the lifting platform. Four mounting bases for placing PCBA boards are circumferentially arranged on the rotating seat with the axis of the rotating seat as the center. The PCBA boards are adsorbed onto the mounting bases by negative pressure. A downward pressure space is reserved between the rotating seat and the FCT testing stage. An inclined support frame is fixedly mounted on the base, and a picking plate that can extend into the downward pressure space is slidably mounted on the support frame. A first rack is fixedly mounted on the picking plate, and a gear meshing with the first rack is rotatably mounted on the base. A second rack meshing with the gear is fixedly mounted on the lifting platform. Controlling the lifting platform to move downward causes the gear to rotate, thereby driving the first rack to slide and move the picking plate out of the downward pressure space. Controlling the lifting platform to move upward causes the gear to rotate in the opposite direction, thereby driving the first rack to slide in the opposite direction and move the picking plate into the downward pressure space to receive the PCBA boards after testing.

[0009] Furthermore, a drive motor for driving the rotating seat to rotate is fixedly installed at one end of the rotating seat, and a support platform is fixedly installed at the end of the rotating seat away from the drive motor. The support platform is provided with four negative pressure channels corresponding to the mounting base, and each negative pressure channel is connected to a negative pressure mechanism. Multiple negative pressure holes are arrayed on each surface of the rotating seat, and the four negative pressure channels are respectively connected to multiple negative pressure holes on the four surfaces of the rotating seat. The mounting base is provided with a mounting groove for placing the PCBA board, and the mounting base is fixedly installed on the rotating seat by bolts so that the negative pressure hole located at the mounting groove is connected to the outside.

[0010] Furthermore, the rotating base is evenly arranged with four workstations along the rotation direction. The four workstations are, in order, a loading position, a verification position, a testing position, and a unloading observation position. The loading position is located at the top of the rotating base. Every 90° rotation of the rotating base allows the mounting substrate to switch to the next workstation. A support plate is fixedly installed on the base opposite to the verification position. A multimodal surface information acquisition module is installed on the support plate to collect the surface information of the PCBA board located at the verification position. When the lifting platform moves the base down to allow the PCBA board at the testing position to fall onto the FCT test platform, the multimodal surface information acquisition module is positioned opposite to the PCBA board at the verification position.

[0011] Furthermore, the multimodal surface information acquisition module includes an optical imaging unit, a laser ranging array, and a capacitive proximity sensor array. The optical imaging unit is used to acquire two-dimensional image information of the PCBA board surface. The laser ranging array consists of multiple laser displacement sensors arranged in an array, with the laser beams of each laser displacement sensor vertically projected to different positions on the PCBA board surface to measure the height value of each measurement point relative to a reference plane. The capacitive proximity sensor array consists of multiple tiny conductive electrodes embedded in a matrix on the bottom end face of the multimodal surface information acquisition module. Each electrode is connected to a multi-channel capacitance detection circuit through shielded leads to sense the dielectric constant distribution on the PCBA board surface.

[0012] Furthermore, the support frame is equipped with a position sensor for detecting the location of the picking plate. The multimodal surface information acquisition module, the negative pressure mechanism, and the position sensor are all electrically connected to the main controller. When the picking plate returns to the preset position in the pressing space along the support frame, the main controller controls the negative pressure mechanism corresponding to the position to be detected to disconnect the adsorption of the PCBA board on the detection position, so that the PCBA board falls onto the picking plate.

[0013] Furthermore, the material receiving plate is equipped with cushioning foam.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. This invention employs a rotating structure with four circumferentially arranged workstations on a rotating base. The four workstations are, in sequence, a loading station, a verification station, a testing station, and a loading observation station. Each 90° rotation of the rotating base switches the mounting substrate to the next workstation. This four-station parallel operation allows the loading, verification, testing, and loading observation processes to be performed simultaneously on the same equipment. While the operator or loading robot places the PCBA board at the loading station, the verification station is performing surface quality testing on the previous board, the testing station is performing FCT function testing on the board before that, and the loading observation station has already completed the automatic reception and removal of the test board. The workstations overlap in time and do not wait for each other, completely eliminating process interruptions in traditional serial operation modes.

[0015] 2. This invention utilizes a multi-modal surface information acquisition module with a verification position to perform a comprehensive quality screening of the PCBA board before it enters the FCT testing process. This acquisition module integrates three detection methods: an optical imaging unit, a laser ranging array, and a capacitive proximity sensor array. This "screen first, test later" approach completely eliminates invalid tests and probe damage caused by PCBA board misalignment, missing components, foreign objects on the board surface, excessive warping, or incorrect model numbers. This ensures the accuracy and reliability of FCT testing from the source and significantly reduces the test misjudgment rate.

[0016] 3. This invention utilizes the lifting platform's own lifting motion as a power source, achieving linkage control of the pick-up board through a purely mechanical transmission method. It requires no additional drive components or complex control logic, resulting in an extremely simple and reliable structure with low cost and a very low failure rate. Simultaneously, the pick-up board is equipped with cushioning foam. When the position sensor detects the pick-up board's arrival, the main controller controls the negative pressure mechanism to disconnect the suction of the PCBA board at the detection position. The PCBA board falls vertically onto the cushioning foam on the pick-up board under gravity, with a very short descent distance (only 5-15mm). This achieves automatic, stable, and damage-free pick-up of the PCBA board after testing, completely eliminating the quality risks such as collisions, chipping, and solder cracks caused by the PCBA board falling from a height or sliding at an angle after the negative pressure is turned off, as is common in traditional solutions. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this invention clearer, the following figures are provided for illustration: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating seat moving down to the detection state according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating seat moving to a preset state according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the rotating seat according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] The following components are labeled in the attached diagram: base 1, support plate 101, multimodal surface information acquisition module 102, FCT test stage 2, lifting platform 3, rotating seat 4, drive motor 401, support platform 402, negative pressure channel 403, negative pressure hole 404, mounting base 5, mounting groove 501, PCBA board 6, support frame 7, material picking plate 701, first rack 702, gear 703, second rack 704. Detailed Implementation

[0019] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the present invention discloses a rotary continuous feeding FCT testing mechanism for PCBA boards, comprising: a base 1 and an FCT testing stage 2 fixedly mounted on the base 1. A lifting platform 3 is slidably mounted on the base 1. The lifting platform 3 is driven to lift by a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. A rotating seat 4 is rotatably mounted on the lifting platform 3. The rotating seat 4 is controlled to rotate by a drive motor 401. Four mounting bases 5 for placing PCBA boards 6 are arranged circumferentially around the axis of the rotating seat 4. The PCBA boards 6 are respectively adsorbed onto the corresponding mounting bases 5 by negative pressure.

[0020] In this scheme, the placement steps of PCBA board 6 are as follows: First, PCBA board 6 is placed on the mounting base 5 on the top of the rotating seat 4. Then, the rotating seat 4 is rotated 90° by the drive motor. PCBA board 6 is then placed on the mounting base 5 on the top of the rotating seat 4. PCBA board 6 is placed on each mounting base 5 in this manner and fixed by negative pressure adsorption. When the mounting base 5 with PCBA board 6 is rotated to be opposite the FCT test stage 2, the lifting platform 3 is driven to move down by a cylinder or hydraulic cylinder, so that PCBA board 6 falls on the FCT test stage 2 for FCT testing. After the test is completed, the lifting platform 3 is driven to move up to its original position by a cylinder or hydraulic cylinder, and then the rotating seat 4 is controlled to rotate 90° until the next PCBA board 6 is opposite the FCT test stage 2, and the PCBA board 6 after the test is completed is removed.

[0021] This solution eliminates wasted manual labor, removes process interruptions, enables continuous operation, and significantly increases board placement speed; the rotating mechanism can supply a product and start testing after rotating 90 degrees, greatly reducing the time required for human intervention.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, a downward pressure space is reserved between the rotating seat 4 and the FCT test stage 2. An inclined support frame 7 is fixedly installed on the base 1. A material picking plate 701 that can extend into the downward pressure space is slidably installed on the support frame 7. A first rack 702 is fixedly installed on the side wall of the material picking plate 701. A gear 703 that meshes with the first rack 702 is rotatably installed on the base 1. A second rack 704 that meshes with the gear 703 is fixedly installed on the lifting platform 3. Controlling the lifting platform 3 to move downward can cause the gear 703 to rotate, thereby driving the first rack 702 to slide so that the material picking plate 701 moves out of the downward pressure space.

[0023] In this scheme, when the lifting platform 3 moves down to make the PCBA board 6 contact the FCT test stage 2, the height of the pressing space is zero. At this time, the picking plate 701 is set outside the pressing space. After the test is completed, the lifting platform 3 moves up, and the picking plate 701 moves closer to the pressing space through the second rack 704, gear 703 and the first rack 702. At this time, as the lifting platform 3 moves up, the height of the pressing space gradually increases, and the picking plate 701 can extend into the pressing space. Until the lifting platform 3 returns to its original position, the picking plate 701 is located under the lowermost mounting base 5 so that the PCBA board 6 can fall on the picking plate 701. When the lifting platform 3 returns to its original position, there is a gap between the picking plate 701 and the lowermost mounting base 5 to avoid the rotation of the rotating seat 4.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, a support platform 402 is fixedly installed on the end of the rotating seat 4 away from the drive motor 401. The support platform 402 is provided with four negative pressure channels 403, and each negative pressure channel 403 is connected to a negative pressure mechanism. Multiple negative pressure holes 404 are arrayed on each surface of the rotating seat 4. The four negative pressure channels 403 are respectively connected to the multiple negative pressure holes 404 on the four surfaces of the rotating seat 4. The mounting base 5 is provided with a mounting groove 501 for placing the PCBA board 6. The mounting base 5 is fixedly installed on the rotating seat 4 by bolts so that the negative pressure holes 404 located in the mounting groove 501 are connected to the outside.

[0025] In this solution, by arraying negative pressure holes 404 on each surface of the rotating base 4, the corresponding mounting substrate 5 can be selected for different shaped PCBA boards 6, thereby completing the negative pressure adsorption of the PCBA board 6 and improving its applicability; by setting the support platform 402 and four negative pressure channels 403, the entanglement of the hose caused by the rotation of the rotating base 4 when using a hose-like negative pressure tube is avoided.

[0026] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotating seat 4 is evenly provided with four workstations along the rotation direction (clockwise), which are divided into a loading position, a verification position, a detection position and a unloading observation position in sequence. The loading position is located at the top of the rotating seat 4. The rotating seat 4 can switch the mounting substrate 5 to the next workstation every 90° rotation. A support plate 101 opposite to the verification position is fixedly installed on the base 1. A multimodal surface information acquisition module 102 is installed on the support plate 101. The multimodal surface information acquisition module 102 is used to acquire the surface information of the PCBA board 6 located at the verification position. The multimodal surface information acquisition module 102 includes an optical imaging unit, a laser ranging array, and a capacitive proximity sensor array. The optical imaging unit is a high-resolution industrial camera equipped with a ring LED illumination source, used to acquire two-dimensional image information of the upper surface of the PCBA board 6. The laser ranging array consists of multiple laser displacement sensors arranged in an array, with the laser beams of each sensor vertically projected to different positions on the upper surface of the PCBA board 6 to measure the height of each measurement point relative to a reference plane. The capacitive proximity sensor array consists of multiple tiny conductive electrodes embedded in a matrix on the bottom end face of the multimodal surface information acquisition module 102. Each electrode is connected to a multi-channel capacitance detection circuit via shielded leads to sense the dielectric constant distribution on the surface of the PCBA board 6. The optical imaging unit, the laser ranging array, and the capacitive proximity sensor array are all connected to a main controller, which has a built-in image processing module and a data analysis module.

[0027] In this solution, after the PCBA board 6 is placed at the loading station, the rotating seat 4 rotates 90° to deliver the PCBA board 6 to the verification station. Then, information collection is performed sequentially according to the following steps: The first step is optical imaging acquisition. The main controller activates the ring-shaped LED illumination source, and the optical imaging unit takes a high-resolution picture of the upper surface of PCBA board 6 to acquire two-dimensional image data. The image processing module preprocesses the image data, including grayscale conversion, filtering and noise reduction, and binarization. Then, it extracts the contour features, component distribution features, and Mark point position features of PCBA board 6. The image processing module compares the extracted features with the pre-stored standard templates in the memory and determines: Is PCBA board 6 placed correctly? — By identifying the coordinate position of the Mark point, if the deviation between the Mark point coordinate and the standard template exceeds a preset threshold (e.g., ±0.1mm), it is determined that the placement is off, and the main controller issues a repositioning alarm. Component integrity check – By identifying the differences between the component outline in the image and the standard template, if there are missing or significantly offset components, it is determined that the component assembly is abnormal, and the main controller issues a component missing alarm. Is there a foreign object on the board surface? By identifying abnormal grayscale areas in the image, if there are additional objects that do not conform to the standard template, it is determined that there is a foreign object on the board surface, and the main controller issues a foreign object cleaning alarm.

[0028] The second step is three-dimensional topography measurement. After optical imaging acquisition, the main controller starts the laser ranging array. Each laser displacement sensor simultaneously measures the height of the upper surface of the PCBA board 6 relative to the reference plane at its respective measurement point, forming a set of height data matrices. The main controller calculates the flatness and warpage of the PCBA board 6 based on this height data matrix. Specifically, the main controller (6) uses the least squares method to perform plane fitting on the height data matrix to obtain the fitted plane equation, and then calculates the vertical distance from each measurement point to the fitted plane, taking the maximum distance value as the warpage. If the warpage exceeds the preset threshold (e.g., 0.75%), it is determined that the deformation of the PCBA board 6 exceeds the standard, and the main controller issues a warpage exceeding the standard alarm, prohibiting the board from entering the subsequent testing process.

[0029] The third step is surface dielectric distribution detection. After the three-dimensional morphology measurement is completed, the main controller activates the capacitive proximity sensor array to scan the capacitance value of each electrode. Because the dielectric constants differ in different areas of the PCBA board 6, such as the FR4 substrate, copper foil circuitry, and components, the capacitance values ​​of each electrode constitute a two-dimensional capacitance distribution image. The main controller compares this capacitance distribution image with a pre-stored standard capacitance template in its memory and determines: Is the model number of PCBA board 6 correct? — By comparing the overall capacitance distribution characteristics, if the matching degree is lower than a preset threshold (e.g., 85%), the model number is determined to be incorrect. Are there any local anomalies on the board surface? If the capacitance value of a certain local area deviates from the standard template by more than the preset range, it is determined that there may be contaminants such as residual flux, solder balls or oil stains in that area.

[0030] The fourth step involves comprehensive judgment and information output. The main controller comprehensively evaluates the results of optical imaging, 3D topography measurement, and capacitance distribution detection. Only when all three test results are qualified will the main controller generate a "verification passed" signal, allowing the rotating seat 4 to continue rotating and sending the PCBA board 6 into the detection position for FCT testing; if any test result is unqualified, the main controller will generate a "verification failed" signal.

[0031] This solution completes all preparations before FCT testing at the verification station, enabling early screening of defects. The inspection time at the verification station overlaps with the material loading time and testing time, without adding extra cycle time, thus achieving truly continuous and highly efficient production.

[0032] In one embodiment of the present invention, the support frame 7 is provided with a position sensor for detecting the position of the picking plate 701. The position sensor is electrically connected to the main controller. When the picking plate 701 returns to a preset position in the downward pressure space along the support frame 7, the main controller controls the negative pressure mechanism corresponding to the detection position to disconnect the adsorption of the PCBA board 6 on the detection position, so that the PCBA board 6 falls onto the picking plate 701. The picking plate 701 is equipped with cushioning foam to prevent the PCBA board 6 from falling and being damaged.

[0033] Finally, it should be noted that the above preferred embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that various changes can be made to it in form and detail without departing from the scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rotary continuous feeding FCT testing mechanism for PCBA boards, comprising a base and an FCT testing stage fixedly mounted on the base, characterized in that, A lifting platform is slidably mounted on the base, and a rotating seat is rotatably mounted on the lifting platform. Four mounting bases for placing PCBA boards are circumferentially arranged on the rotating seat with its axis as the center. The PCBA boards are adsorbed onto the mounting bases by negative pressure. A downward pressure space is reserved between the rotating seat and the FCT test stage. An inclined support frame is fixedly mounted on the base, and a picking plate extending into the downward pressure space is slidably mounted on the support frame. A first rack is fixedly mounted on the picking plate, and a gear meshing with the first rack is rotatably mounted on the base. A second rack meshing with the gear is fixedly mounted on the lifting platform. Controlling the lifting platform to move downward causes the gear to rotate, causing the first rack to slide and move the picking plate out of the downward pressure space. Controlling the lifting platform to move upward causes the gear to rotate in the opposite direction, causing the first rack to slide in the opposite direction and move the picking plate into the downward pressure space to receive the PCBA boards after testing.

2. The rotary continuous feeding FCT testing mechanism for PCBA boards according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the rotating base is fixedly equipped with a drive motor for driving the rotating base to rotate. The end of the rotating base away from the drive motor is fixedly equipped with a support platform. The support platform is provided with four negative pressure channels corresponding to the mounting base. Each negative pressure channel is connected to a negative pressure mechanism. Multiple negative pressure holes are arrayed on each surface of the rotating base. The four negative pressure channels are respectively connected to multiple negative pressure holes on the four surfaces of the rotating base. The mounting base is provided with a mounting slot for placing the PCBA board. The mounting base is fixedly installed on the rotating base with bolts so that the negative pressure hole located at the mounting slot is connected to the outside.

3. The rotary continuous feeding FCT testing mechanism for PCBA boards according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating base has four stations evenly arranged along the rotation direction. The four stations are, in order, a loading station, a verification station, a testing station, and a loading observation station. The loading station is located at the top of the rotating base. The rotating base can switch the mounting substrate to the next station every 90° rotation. A support plate opposite to the verification station is fixedly installed on the base. A multimodal surface information acquisition module is installed on the support plate to collect the surface information of the PCBA board located at the verification station. When the lifting platform moves the base down to allow the PCBA board at the testing station to fall onto the FCT test platform, the multimodal surface information acquisition module is positioned opposite the PCBA board at the verification station.

4. The rotary continuous feeding FCT testing mechanism for PCBA boards according to claim 3, characterized in that: The multimodal surface information acquisition module includes an optical imaging unit, a laser ranging array, and a capacitive proximity sensor array. The optical imaging unit is used to acquire two-dimensional image information of the PCBA board surface. The laser ranging array consists of multiple laser displacement sensors arranged in an array, with the laser beams of each laser displacement sensor vertically projected to different positions on the PCBA board surface to measure the height value of each measurement point relative to a reference plane. The capacitive proximity sensor array consists of multiple tiny conductive electrodes embedded in a matrix on the bottom end face of the multimodal surface information acquisition module. Each electrode is connected to a multi-channel capacitance detection circuit through shielded leads to sense the dielectric constant distribution on the PCBA board surface.

5. The rotary continuous feeding FCT testing mechanism for PCBA boards according to claim 3, characterized in that: The support frame is equipped with a position sensor for detecting the location of the picking plate. The multimodal surface information acquisition module, the negative pressure mechanism, and the position sensor are all electrically connected to the main controller. When the picking plate returns to the preset position in the pressure space along the support frame, the main controller controls the negative pressure mechanism corresponding to the position to be detected to disconnect the adsorption of the PCBA board on the detection position, so that the PCBA board falls onto the picking plate.

6. The rotary continuous feeding FCT testing mechanism for PCBA boards according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material receiving plate is equipped with cushioning foam.

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