Abstract In the modern world of electronic design the equipment is becoming smaller and smaller and the manufacture and production departments are finding it more and more difficult to fix control labels, serial numbers, fault labels, progress data etc. to the product during its manufacturing process. The proposal is that each product (printed circuit card in the specific application to Telephone Exchange production) carries a programmable read only memory dedicated to the storage of the manufacture/production information only. Such a device requires only one i.c. (of the order of 1 1/2" x 1/2") and some access pins on the pcb connector. The incorporation of such a device allows it to be used to condition automatic component assembly equipment and automatic testing equipment for example. In addition the memory can be used to store "working" data such as routine maintentance information or replaced faulty component information. The equipment for reading and writing to the product's memory is not resident on the product but would be available when the memory requires to be read or modified. The basic concept is applicable to a wide range of complex products which require the assembly of a large number of component parts.
A multi-component manufactured product incorporating an on-board memory adapted to co-operate with external equipment arranged (a) to write into the memory production control information relative to the manufacture of the manufactured product and (b) to read production control information from the memory to influence the manufacturing process for the product during the passage of the product through the stages of the manufacturing process.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
63 words
A multi-component manufactured product incorporating an on-board memory adapted to co-operate with external equipment arranged (a) to write into the memory production control information relative to the manufacture of the manufactured product and (b) to read production control information from the memory to influence the manufacturing process for the product during the passage of the product through the stages of the manufacturing process.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A multi-component manufactured product incorporating an on-board memory as claimed in claim 1 in which the memory is an electrically programmable read only memory device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
A multi-component manufactured product incorporating an on-board memory as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the memory is arranged to store the manufacturing identity code for the multi-component manufactured product which is used to identify the particular product during the manufacture process.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A multi-component manufactured product incorporating an on-board memory as claimed in claim 3 in which the memory is arranged to store information indicative of the route taken by the product through the manufacturing process.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
A multi-component manufactured product incorporating an on-board memory as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims in which the memory is arranged to store information indicative of the components used in the product and information relating to the testing of those components.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A multi-component manufactured product incorporating an on-board memory in which the memory is arranged to store information relating to the quality of the components incorporated in the product.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A multi-component manufactured product incorporating an on-board memory in which the memory is arranged to store information relating to the quality of the components incorporated in the product.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
A multi component manufacture product according to any one of the preceding claims in which the product is a printed circuit board and the on-board memory is connected to printed circuit board conector pins which are dedicated to the access and control of the on-board memory device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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