PCB testing device

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a PCB testing device, and relates to the technical field of signal testing. The PCB testing device is of a cavity structure with a plurality of side surfaces; the side surface of the cavity structure is provided with a radio frequency connector and a test front end. The test front end is provided with a hole array used for installing cable terminals, and holes in the hole array are used for accommodating and fixing the cable terminals; a mounting hole corresponding to each cable terminal in the hole array is determined according to a test point position of the tested PCB; and each cable terminal is connected with the corresponding radio frequency connector through a connecting cable. The embodiment provided by the utility model has the characteristics of small spacing, no welding, direct connection and the like, the test error is reduced, and different application requirements are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of signal testing technology, and more specifically to a PCB board testing device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with the increasing demand for miniaturization and modularization of electronic products, the transmission of microwave and millimeter-wave radio frequency signals via board-to-board or board-to-cable connections using PCBs is becoming more and more common. Therefore, there is a need in production for a low-cost, solderless testing device that meets the requirements of small-pitch structures and can accurately and quickly test key radio frequency performance indicators (insertion loss, voltage standing wave ratio, impedance, etc.) to improve production efficiency.

[0003] There are two existing conventional testing methods. One is to use miniaturized push-in connectors and solder surface-mount connectors on the PCB of the device under test to connect to the vector network analyzer for testing. The disadvantage of this method is that it cannot be reused. The other method is to fix solderless connectors on the PCB of the device under test and connect them to the vector network analyzer for testing. This method can be reused, but it has drawbacks such as more overall link transitions, longer design and manufacturing cycles, higher cost requirements, and lower testing and assembly efficiency.

[0004] In the existing technology, there are also some interface boards that also realize the interface adaptation between the device under test and the test equipment, but they have the defects of fixed interface design and inability to flexibly adjust the distance between terminals. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this utility model embodiment is to provide a PCB board testing device that can simultaneously meet many requirements such as no soldering required, small-pitch layout, short cycle time, low cost, simple structure, multi-channel clamping at one time, adaptability to different pitches, and reusability, so as to at least solve some of the problems in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a PCB board testing device, which is a cavity structure with multiple sides; the sides of the cavity structure are provided with RF connectors and test front ends; the test front end has an array of holes for mounting cable terminals, the holes in the hole array are used to accommodate and fix the cable terminals; the mounting hole corresponding to each cable terminal in the hole array is determined according to the test point of the PCB board under test; each cable terminal is connected to the corresponding RF connector via a connecting cable.

[0007] Optionally, the connecting cable between each cable terminal and the corresponding RF connector is a semi-flexible cable, which is laid within the cavity structure.

[0008] Optionally, the model of the RF connector is matched with the model of the input interface of the test equipment.

[0009] Optionally, the RF connector is positioned on the side of the cavity structure to match the input interface position of the test equipment.

[0010] Optionally, the test front end is fixed to the PCB board under test by a fastening housing.

[0011] Optionally, when the test front end is fixed to the PCB board under test, a conductive pad is provided between the two.

[0012] Optionally, the cable terminal is a floating inner conductor terminal.

[0013] Optionally, the cable terminal includes a spring pin with a compressible needle tip at its top and the tail end of the spring pin connected to the connecting cable via a soldering spool.

[0014] Optionally, the spring pin is fixed to the terminal housing of the cable terminal via an insulator, and both ends of the welding tube are fixed to the terminal housing of the cable terminal via insulating pads.

[0015] Optionally, the exposed length of the compressible needle is 0.5 mm, and the compressible length of the compressible needle is greater than the exposed length.

[0016] The above technical solution has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] (1) Compared with traditional testing devices, the PCB board testing device of this application has the advantages of no soldering, small spacing, short cycle, low cost, simple structure, one-time clamping, adaptability to different spacing, reusability, low loss, and equal phase testing.

[0018] (2) The channel spacing, the fixing clamp between the channel and the PCB board, and the installation method are all adjustable and can be adjusted simultaneously, making it flexible to use;

[0019] (3) It has a wide range of applications and can be customized and modularized for devices such as amplitude and phase stabilization, power tolerance, high-speed differential signal applications, and optoelectronic RF mixed module testing.

[0020] Other features and advantages of this utility model embodiment will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the embodiments of the present invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the following detailed description to explain the embodiments of the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the PCB board testing device provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a top view of the PCB board testing device provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the cable terminal and the connecting cable in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cable terminal provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a simulation curve of the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of the cable terminals of the PCB board testing device provided in this embodiment of the utility model.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a simulation curve of the insertion loss of the cable terminals of the PCB board testing device provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a simulation curve of the impedance of the cable terminals of the PCB board testing device provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0029] Figure 8 This is an application scenario for the PCB board testing device provided in this embodiment of the utility model.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0031] 1-Cavity structure, 2-Test front end, 3-RF connector, 4-Connecting cable, 5-Conductive pad, 6-PCB board under test. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0033] This embodiment provides a PCB board testing device, which is a cavity structure 1 with multiple sides; the sides of the cavity structure 1 are provided with radio frequency connectors 3 and test front end 2; the test front end 2 has an array of holes for mounting cable terminals, the holes in the hole array are used to accommodate and fix the cable terminals; the mounting hole corresponding to each cable terminal in the hole array is determined according to the test point of the PCB board 6 under test; each cable terminal is connected to the corresponding radio frequency connector 3 through a connecting cable 4.

[0034] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the embodiments of this application avoid soldering and the use of fixed PCB board adapters, making them more flexible in use and removal. At the same time, the position and distance between cable terminals can be flexibly adjusted to quickly meet the matching requirements of different PCB boards under test.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of the PCB board testing device provided in an embodiment of this utility model. Figure 1 Taking the hexahedral cavity structure as an example, this shape is not limited and can be set to any polyhedron. The main purpose of the cavity is to accommodate the connecting cable 4. The test front end 2 is located on one side of the cavity structure 1, and the RF connector 3 is located on the other side. Depending on the number of RF connectors 3, they can be placed on multiple sides. Figure 1 For example, a test front-end 2 is mounted on one side, and the other three sides are used to mount RF connectors 3. The cable terminals in the test front-end 2 are connected to the corresponding RF connectors 3 by corresponding connecting cables 4. The main function of the test front-end 2 is to mount the cable terminals, which are then connected to the RF connectors 3 via the connecting cables 4. The mounting position of the cable terminals is determined based on the test points of the PCB board under test 6. When the PCB board under test 6 is relatively fixed to the test front-end 2, the cable terminals are inserted into the corresponding holes in the hole array to achieve contact connection with the test points. After the cable terminals are connected between the test front-end 2 and the test points of the PCB board under test 6, a connection path is established between the test points of the PCB board under test 6 and the RF connectors 3 via the connecting cables 4. Through this path, the testing instrument can establish a connection with the test points of the PCB board under test 6, thus initiating subsequent testing.

[0036] In some alternative implementations, the test front-end 2 and its aperture array need to be adapted to the requirements of different testing scenarios. For example, the diameter of the apertures in the aperture array is less than 1.5mm. The test front-end 2 is smaller in diameter than traditional miniaturized commonly used interfaces such as SMP / SMPM / SMPS, and its arrangement is more compact, giving it the advantage of being able to perform simultaneous multi-channel testing. Since this application allows adjustment of the position of the cable terminals in the test front-end 2 by selecting the mounting holes, the distance between channels can be flexibly adjusted, thereby meeting the needs of multiple scenarios for small-pitch single-clamping and multi-channel alternating testing.

[0037] In some alternative embodiments, the connecting cable 4 between each cable terminal and the corresponding RF connector 3 is a semi-flexible cable. The semi-flexible cable is preferably a low-loss, stable amplitude and phase equal-length cable with a welding outer diameter of less than φ1.5mm, and is laid in the cavity structure 1. Figure 2 This is a top view of the PCB board testing device provided in this embodiment of the utility model. Figure 2As shown, since the position of the cable terminals in this embodiment is determined based on the test points of the PCB board 6 under test, and the position is not fixed, rigid cables should not be used for connection, otherwise it will be difficult to adjust the position. Therefore, this embodiment uses semi-flexible cables. The performance indicators of semi-flexible cables are close to those of semi-rigid cables, and they can be manually shaped. Although their stability is slightly worse than that of semi-rigid cables, they are less prone to deformation than flexible cables, and their electrical parameters are more stable. The layout of the connecting cables 4 can follow certain rules, such as length constraints and impedance constraints. Length constraints include making the connecting cables 4 as short as possible to reduce signal transmission delay and distortion. Length constraints may also include making the lengths of the connecting cables 4 as equal as possible to maintain signal synchronization. Impedance constraints include both being 50 ohms or both being 75 ohms to improve the transmission matching of the system. When multiple connecting cables 4 have the same impedance, the efficiency of signal transmission can be improved, signal integrity can be maintained, and the anti-interference capability of the system can be improved. Furthermore, connecting cables 4 with the same impedance can be more conveniently routed and connected, reducing the complexity of system design. For example, when the RF connector 3 is distributed on multiple different sides, the corresponding connecting cables 4 are laid out in layers in the cavity structure 1 according to the side where the RF connector 3 is located, so as to reduce the vertical crossing of the connecting cables 4, avoid mutual interference of signals, and improve the signal transmission quality.

[0038] In some alternative embodiments, the model of the RF connector 3 matches the model of the input interface of the test equipment. The model of the RF connector 3 in this application is not limited; it can be a common or general-purpose RF connector, such as a BNC connector, N-type connector, TNC connector, 2.92mm connector, 1.85mm connector, or 1.0mm connector. Matching it to the input interface of the test equipment can eliminate electrical losses and test errors caused by interface conversion.

[0039] In some alternative embodiments, the RF connector 3 is positioned on the side of the cavity structure 1 to match the position of the input interface of the test equipment. Since the position of the input interface of the test equipment is relatively fixed, matching the position of the RF connector 3 to the input interface position can reduce the number of cable transitions or facilitate cable routing when transitions are required. For example, the RF connector 3 corresponding to the input interface of the test equipment with high phase amplitude consistency requirements can be placed on the same side to maintain physical consistency of the transmission link as much as possible, achieve load balance, and reduce the risk of signal distortion. Alternatively, the distribution of the RF connector 3 on the side of the cavity structure 1 can be determined based on the left-right position distribution of the input interface of the test equipment to minimize cable crossings and overlaps between the RF connector 3 and the input interface, thereby improving the transmission quality of the test signal.

[0040] In some optional embodiments, the test front end 2 is fixed to the PCB board 6 under test by a fastening housing, or when the test front end 2 is fixed to the PCB board 6 under test, a conductive pad 5 is provided between the two. The test front end 2 is fixedly connected to the printed circuit board with the conductive pad 5 or the elastic grounding pin, and is used in conjunction with the fastening housing and the printed circuit board under test to ensure a reliable connection between the PCB board 6 under test and the test front end 2.

[0041] In some alternative implementations, the cable terminal is an inner conductor floating terminal. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between the cable terminal and the connecting cable in an embodiment of this utility model. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the cable terminal has a compressible front end, preferably around 0.5 mm. This embodiment uses a floating inner conductor terminal, which allows the cable terminal to maintain a certain amount of expansion and contraction when in contact with the PCB board 6 under test, ensuring reliable contact. Under the requirement of low-loss, stable amplitude and phase stability, the cable outer diameter is customized, smaller than the outer diameter of a traditional 16# coaxial contact, and can be less than φ1.6 mm. This allows for the compact arrangement of low-loss, stable amplitude and phase stable equal-length cable assemblies with an outer diameter less than φ1.5 mm.

[0042] In some embodiments of this application, the cable terminal includes a spring pin with a compressible needle tip at its top and the tail end of the spring pin connected to the connecting cable 4 via a soldering spool. Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the cable terminal provided in an embodiment of this utility model. (See diagram below.) Figure 4 As shown, the cable terminal mainly includes a spring pin and a soldering reel. The compressible tip of the spring pin is exposed for external connection. The front end of the spring pin, acting as the inner conductor of the pin, is floatable, and the amount of float can be customized according to actual needs. The tail end of the spring pin is connected to the soldering reel, which is used to connect to the connecting cable 4 by welding, and can weld low-loss, amplitude-stable, and phase-stable cables.

[0043] In some embodiments of this application, the same applies. Figure 4 As shown, the spring pin is fixed to the terminal housing via an insulator, and both ends of the welding spool are fixed to the terminal housing via insulating washers. Using insulators and insulating washers to fix the spring pin and welding spool not only prevents relative movement between them but also provides electrical shielding and isolation through the terminal housing.

[0044] In some embodiments of this application, the exposed length of the compressible pin is 0.5 mm, and the compressible length of the compressible pin is greater than the exposed length. Since the cable terminal in this application is adjustable at the test front end 2, it is not necessary for the spring pin to provide a large stroke and a long connection distance. The spring pin only needs to provide appropriate contact pressure to ensure reliable connection with the PCB board 6 under test. Therefore, this embodiment limits the exposed length of the compressible pin to ensure the electrical performance of the cable terminal. A spring pin connector, also known as a POGOPIN connector, charging pin connector, or probe connector, is a spring-type probe composed of three basic components: a pin shaft, a spring, and a pin tube, with a precise internal spring structure. It is widely used in electronic products such as mobile phones, computers, printers, communication equipment, medical equipment, and aerospace equipment, mainly for components in these semiconductor devices that frequently require disassembly and replacement.

[0045] Figure 5 This is a simulation curve of the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of the cable terminals of the PCB board testing device provided in this embodiment of the utility model. Figure 5 As shown, the horizontal axis represents frequency in GHz, and the vertical axis represents VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio), which is dimensionless.

[0046] Figure 6 This is a simulation curve of the insertion loss of the cable terminals of the PCB board testing device provided in this embodiment of the utility model. Figure 6 As shown, the horizontal axis represents frequency in GHz, and the vertical axis represents insertion loss in dB.

[0047] Figure 7 This is a simulation curve of the impedance of the cable terminals of the PCB board testing device provided in this embodiment of the utility model. Figure 7 As shown, the horizontal axis represents time in ps, and the vertical axis represents TDR impedance (TDR stands for Time Domain Reflectometry).

[0048] like Figures 5-7 As shown in the simulation curves of the main RF performance indicators (insertion loss, voltage standing wave ratio, impedance, etc.) of the cable terminal, it can be seen that the terminal structure can theoretically meet the application requirements of the test frequency in the DC-40GHz range.

[0049] This application also provides an application scenario for a PCB board testing device. Figure 8 This is an application scenario of the PCB board testing device provided in this embodiment of the utility model, such as... Figure 8As shown, the test scenario includes a PCB board under test (6), test instruments, and a PCB board testing device as described in the foregoing embodiments. Specifically, the interface of the test instrument is connected to the RF connector 3 of the PCB board testing device, for example, via a coaxial cable, test cable, etc. The test points on the PCB board under test (6) are connected to the test front end 2 of the PCB board testing device. The test instrument can be, for example, an oscilloscope or a load test board. The PCB board under test (6) does not need to have any interface restrictions; it only needs to have test points. It should be noted that... Figure 5 The connecting lines shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not necessarily represent actual cables. For example, when the test front-end 2 is fixedly mounted to the PCB board under test 6 via a secure housing, the PCB board under test 6 directly contacts the cable terminals, eliminating the need for a cable connection between them. This further reduces link loss and ensures signal quality. Similarly, if the layout and location of the RF connector 3 are well-matched with the test instrument, a cable connection may not be necessary, achieving the same benefits of reduced link loss and improved signal quality.

[0050] In practical applications, users can customize the channel spacing, terminal floating amount, internal floating structure of terminals, fixing and clamping with the PCB board under test, and installation method according to the actual application scenario, making it a modular test bench device.

[0051] The PCB board testing device in this embodiment can be customized to meet different application needs, such as equal phase and amplitude-stable phase testing, power withstand testing, high-speed differential signal application testing, and optoelectronic RF mixed module testing, depending on the actual application scenario.

[0052] It should be understood that in this specification, the terms "center," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship or dimensions based on the orientation or positional relationship or dimensions shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are used only for ease of description and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0053] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0054] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0055] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0056] This specification provides many different implementations or examples that can be used to implement this disclosure. It should be understood that these different implementations or examples are entirely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure in any way. Those skilled in the art will be able to conceive of various variations or substitutions based on the disclosure of this specification, and these should all be covered within the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should be determined by the scope defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A PCB board testing device, characterized in that, The PCB board testing device is a cavity structure with multiple sides; The cavity structure has an RF connector and a test front end on its side. The test front end has an array of holes for mounting cable terminals, the holes in the array being used to accommodate and secure the cable terminals; The mounting hole corresponding to each cable terminal in the hole array is determined according to the test point of the PCB board under test; Each cable terminal is connected to its corresponding RF connector via a connecting cable.

2. The PCB board testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting cable between each cable terminal and the corresponding RF connector is a semi-flexible cable, which is laid within the cavity structure.

3. The PCB board testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The model of the RF connector is matched with the model of the input interface of the test equipment.

4. The PCB board testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The RF connector is positioned on the side of the cavity structure to match the input interface of the test equipment.

5. The PCB board testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The test front end is fixed to the PCB board under test by a fastening shell.

6. The PCB board testing device according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the test front end is fixed to the PCB board under test, a conductive pad is placed between the two.

7. The PCB board testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cable terminal is a floating terminal with an inner conductor.

8. The PCB board testing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cable terminal includes a spring pin with a compressible needle tip at its top and the tail end of the spring pin connected to the connecting cable via a soldering spool.

9. The PCB board testing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The spring pin is fixed to the terminal housing of the cable terminal via an insulator, and both ends of the welding tube are fixed to the terminal housing of the cable terminal via insulating pads.

10. The PCB board testing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The exposed length of the compressible needle is 0.5 mm, and the compressible length of the compressible needle is greater than the exposed length.

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