In-Circuit testing: detecting electronic board defects

What is In-Circuit testing and which are its advantages?

In-circuit testing is a common test method, used in high-volume manufacturing environments, that verifies the performance and the integrity of electronic printed circuit boards before they leave the production floor.

Through fixed probes making electrical connections with the PCB test points, ICT testing detects any possible electrical defect either on the board or in the installing components.

Although there are several ways and techniques of testing PCBA, automatic in-circuit testing better handles fast and high-volume manufacturing scenarios requiring greater accuracy, wider test coverage, and shorter test time.

The ideal to ensure total functionality of the electronic boards in mass productions is to have bed-of-nails test equipment for in-circuit test being able to run accurate inspections without compromising production rates and costs.

SPEA automatic in-circuit testers meet this demand successfully by harmonizing high-volume testing and low costs with the requirements of accuracy and reliability.

This is also expressed in the guidelines for the SPEA ICT tester. Ranging from manual boards loading to fully automated in-line testers, the SPEA bed-of-nails testers for ICT testing ensure comprehensive defect detection at the highest throughput.

Dual-Site test area for faster ICT testing

The in-circuit testers from SPEA, available in single or multi-core configurations, are designed for high test parallelism. Their scalable design allows them to conduct in-circuit tests up to ten times faster than traditional in-circuit testers, leveraging the advantages of multi-site architecture.

Based on an efficient dual-site architecture, that allows parallel testing of one electronic board model or two different board models at the same time, the SPEA in-circuit testers detects electronic boards defects running a real-time variety of testing techniques, including ICT test, digital and analog functional testing, flashing, power testing, integrated into the production line.

This feature eliminates the need to increase the number of in-circuit testers in manufacturing to cover high-volume productions with benefits that include lower investments associated with maintenance and industrial space.

Parametric ICT prevents product returns

With its extreme measurement accuracy and advanced parameterization algorithms, the SPEA bed-of-nails testers for in-circuit test are a step ahead in early detecting defects.

Able to point out electronic boards’ weak components, that are correctly operating when standard ICT is run but that will cause electronics malfunctions during use, SPEA in-circuit testers prevent unwanted returns from the field that typically generate considerable business losses.

In-Circuit testing autonomy ensures continuity

The flexibility to perform in-circuit testing at any time with few operator interventions and the possibility to rely on advanced diagnostic tools capable of constantly monitoring the status of the in-circuit testers is becoming increasingly important to ensure production continuity.

The SPEA in-line bed-of-nails testers for ICT testing can be configured in several automatic operating modes, including integration into the production line, the combination with robots, or automatic board loaders/unloaders eliminating any manual operations.

Additionally, they embed smart sensors to monitor its performance, optimize its use, and predict maintenance reducing any risk of testing interruptions and delays.

Different ICT Test strategies for complete defects coverage

Bed-of-nails testers or flying probe testers are both used for in-circuit testing to ensure the quality and functionality of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), but they differ significantly in their approach and application suitability. The choice between these methods depends on specific production needs regarding volume scale and design complexity.