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EP0552532A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

A method of testing printed circuit boards

Assignee: HP Inc
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Filing: 1992-10-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-10-22
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Abstract

Abstract A method for generating a functional test for a loaded printed circuit board automatically generates a test for a cluster of elements which may be tested together as a functional unit by pattern matching with pre-defined cluster models contained in a library. The method comprises the following steps. First, an electrical description of the printed circuit board is analyzed (step 302) to identify (step 304) any clusters of elements which match any pre-defined cluster models. When a match is found, a generic test routine is retrieved (step 306) from the model and used to generate (step 324) a functional test for the cluster of elements on the printed circuit board. Thereafter, tests are generated (step 324) for remaining, non-clustered devices by matching (step 314) each device to a generic model within a device models library (108), and then retrieving (step 314) a generic test routine therefrom.

Inventors

  • 👤 Robert E. Marker Iii
  • 👤 Darrell B. Johnsrud

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 22:00
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R31/00; G01R31/28; G01R31/2801; G01R31/2806

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim 111 words
In an automated test equipment system for testing a printed circuit board containing a plurality of interconnected devices wherein each device includes at least one element, a method for generating a functional test, the method comprising the following steps: (a) analyzing (steps 302,304) an electrical description of the circuit board to identify an element cluster which matches a pre-defined cluster model, said element cluster including a plurality of interconnected elements, said pre-defined cluster model including a test routine for said element cluster; (b) retrieving (step 306) said test routine from said pre-defined cluster model; (c) automatically generating (step 324) a functional test for said element cluster based on said test routine.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 143 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said step (a) of analyzing comprises the following steps: selecting (step 3041) one of said plurality of interconnected devices for analysis; retrieving (step 3042) a device model for said selected device from a device models library, said device model including a functional description of said selected device; selecting (step 3044), based on said functional description, a single element of said selected device for analysis, said single element being interconnected with at least one other element to form said element cluster; determining (step 3045) which pre-defined cluster models in a cluster models library includes said single element; and comparing (steps 3048,3050) the interconnection of said single element on the printed circuit board with an interconnection of said single element in each said pre-defined cluster model to determine if any of said pre-defined cluster models match said element cluster.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 189 words
In an automated test equipment system for testing a printed circuit board containing a plurality of interconnected devices wherein each device includes at least one element, a method for generating a functional test, the method comprising the following steps: (a) analyzing (steps 302,304) an electrical description of the circuit board to identify an element cluster which matches a pre-defined cluster model, said element cluster including a plurality of interconnected elements, said pre-defined cluster model including a test routine for said element cluster; (b) retrieving (step 306) said test routine from said pre-defined cluster model; (c) automatically (step 324) generating a functional test for said element cluster based on said test routine. (d) repeating steps (a) through (c) as required; (e) determining which devices still require test generation following steps (a) through (d); (f) for each device still requiring test generation, retrieving (step 314) a pre-defined device model from a device models library, said pre-defined device model including a test routine for a corresponding device; (g) automatically generating (step 324) a functional test for each device still requiring test generation based on said test routine contained in said device model.

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