SPEA has invented the automatic flying probe tester that allows to easily overcome the accessibility limits of bed-of-nails testers and to reliably detect any defect on electronic boards with limited access.

For production lines up to 800,000 boards per year, SPEA Flying Probers are the ideal test systems, due to their unparalleled throughput and their extreme probing accuracy. The ultra-high speed linear motors installed on XYZ axes make the testers able to reach up to 180 touches/sec with 8 flying probes. Automatic board loading through in-line conveyor reduces the index time to just 2.5 seconds. Moreover, the board handling can be automated with SPEA Board Loaders: compact and efficient, the loaders are available in modular configurations and can be combined with the testers to form fully automatic test cells for production test.

Today’s electronic production requires systems capable of responding to the ever-growing miniaturization of boards and components, which increases the complexity of test requirements even on high-volume lines. SPEA Flying Probe Technology enables to simultaneously contact both sides of the boards with extreme probe positioning accuracy, even on micro-pads equal or smaller than 50μm. The flying probes also allow to benefit from their maximum flexibility and ease of application, completely avoiding the costs of fixture manufacturing, stocking and maintenance. Thanks to the automatic test program generation on the Leonardo operating system, giving you ready-to-use test programs which are quickly modifiable and usable throughout the whole product life cycle, SPEA Flying Probers are the first choice for diversified production lines, especially when it is essential to minimize the time-to-market and the cost of test.

The testing of flexible circuits, which are increasingly diffused in lighting and consumer electronics, requires specific technologies and techniques to guarantee 100% safe probing, never damaging them. The linear motors that characterize SPEA flying probe testers, in addition to providing high acceleration and up to 180 touches per second, are able to stop in extremely short times and with absolute control, making possible a fast, accurate and repeatable testing of the most delicate units. The contact force programmability on the Z-axis enables to touch the smallest test points with energy close to zero, thus not causing any degradation or unwanted probe mark.

There is more. SPEA Flying Probers can also prevent the risks of unreliable contact due to the imperfect planarity of flexible circuits and to their vibration during probing. The laser detection and measurement tools, combined with artificial intelligence algorithms for the dynamic calculation of contact coordinates, compensate for the non-planarity of the flexible circuits and ensure that each point is contacted with the utmost precision despite the degree of curvature. The testers can also be integrated with specific contrasting tools, such as vacuum fixtures, to increase the flexible circuit’s flatness and to minimize the vibrations at probe contact.

SPEA has invented the first automatic flying probe tester able to fully test power boards. The system is designed to offer electronics manufacturers the maximum flexibility and production yield available on the market, thanks to the possibility of testing – on both sides simultaneously – large electronic boards, weighing up to 15kg and mounting up to 150mm tall components. SPEA Flying Probe Technology guarantees both the most complete test point accessibility, easily reaching even the points inaccessible to traditional ICT systems, and the highest probing accuracy, even at ultra-high movement speed.

With over 40 years of experience in the testing of power electronics, SPEA is the first reference for the major global players in the energy, power supply and electric vehicle sectors. We know that any failure in the field can result in a huge cost, both in economic and reputation terms, and we know the decisive importance of an accurate power board test, to identify any possible production defect and guarantee its correct functioning during the many years of intended use. SPEA Flying Probers offer full test coverage, being able to test not only all electronic parts (analog, digital and power), but also mechanical ones; in addition to parametric In-Circuit Test and Functional Test, the same systems can also perform additional operations such as optical inspections, flash programming, RTC calibration. So as to satisfy and expand every testing strategy.

LED technology is currently used in a growing number of widespread applications, such as public and domestic lighting systems, consumer electronics, vehicle and aircraft lights. SPEA flying probe systems answer manufacturer needs to validate the specifications of boards and LED devices by automating the testing process and offering a long list of key advantages: very high throughput (over 10 LEDs tested per second), wide range of test techniques simultaneously available on a same machine, extreme probing accuracy, repeatable and traceable test results. The cost of testing is thus minimized and all the defects that could cause field failures are reliably detected.

SPEA flying probe testers allow to benefit from their maximum accessibility and flexibility, since they do not require any specific fixture or wiring to perform complete tests on LED boards and panels. Thanks to the unmatched probe movement speed and the automatic test program generation on the Leonardo operating system, the Flying Probers are able to test high production volumes of multiple product families, minimizing setup times and costs. The Light Chromaticity & Intensity Test function enables to measure the color and intensity of the light emitted by LEDs in an automatic and reliable way, using modular instruments such as light sensors, spectrometers or cameras installed directly on the axes.
The parameters that can be measured with extreme precision include:

• Wavelength range (the whole visible and infrared light spectrum);
• Color Rendering Index (CRI);
• HSL color space (hue, saturation, lightness);
• RGB color scale (red, green, blue);
• X-Y Chromaticity Diagram CIE 1931;
• Correlated Color Temperature;
• Dominant Wavelength;
• Light intensity in Lux (0 – 60,000) and Candela (mcd) values.

The accuracy of the measurements is guaranteed: no influence from the neighboring LEDs, when the whole board is powered, or from the ambient lighting. The tolerance thresholds of the measured values can be defined automatically by the system or set manually by its users, according to every need. In addition to the LED-specific tests, SPEA flying probe systems integrate test techniques and tools for every other board component, from parametric ICT to optical and functional test, thus ensuring full test coverage and no defect escape.

SPEA automatic flying probe testers can thoroughly test any type of probe card, accurately verifying the correct working and parameter values for each net and component, in order to detect every possible process defect.

The large test area allows SPEA automatic testers to fit any probe card with up to 1000x610mm size (39.4×24”), while the input conveyor module makes it easy to load the heaviest probe cards (up to 20Kg) directly into the test area. The systems can test all the probe card parts, including the smallest probe card pins, quickly detecting issues such as embedded components out of their specifications, open pins, short circuits. The flying probers directly contact the probe card connector pins to perform complete continuity tests between PCB and ceramic board, with simultaneous probing at different height levels and without any need for application-specific interface boards or fixtures. Despite the ultra-high probe movement speed, the Soft Touch technology ensures that no mark is ever left on contact points, guaranteeing for product integrity. Parametric and functional test after final assembly complete the testing process.

Moreover, SPEA flying probers are also able to simplify the probe card repair process. It is enough to run the testing on the area that has shown defectiveness to get a precise diagnosis of the faulty parts, reducing the downtime of the IC tester to minutes while also minimizing the time needed to repair. Also the post-repair verification, before sending the probe card back to the production floor, can be readily performed on the SPEA flying probers, getting a full test coverage to verify that the repair operation has been effective, and that no other failure is present.

With their accurate probing, measurement accuracy and precise diagnostics, SPEA automatic flying probe testers can be profitably used not only to test fresh load boards after assembly, but also for many other operations. Such as: bare PCB testing, troubleshooting on defective units and verification after repair, “weak” components detection to avoid malfunctions or breakdowns during use, reverse engineering of existing load boards.

The large test area allows SPEA flying probers to fit any load board with up to 1000x610mm size (39.4×24”), while the input conveyor module makes it easy to load the heaviest load boards (up to 20 Kg), which are automatically and effortlessly moved into the test area. The testers swiftly recognize faulty components, detect process defects (such as open pins or short circuits), identify components that perform out of their specifications and also weakened components that are close to their end of life (e.g. relays). The capability of simultaneous probing at different height levels makes SPEA flying probers able to perform the continuity test between main board and daughter boards, in addition to the complete parametric and functional test of each daughter board after final assembly.

All of this does not require any application-specific fixture, as the systems automatically generate the test program in a few hours, starting from the load board’s CAD data or performing reverse engineering operations on it. In fact, even when load board documentation and schematics are missing, SPEA flying probers are able to automatically re-build the board data – net list, electrical schematics, part list and CAD data – that can then be used to generate the flying probe test program or to manufacture new copies of the load board itself.

SPEA designed and manufactured the first automatic flying probe tester with a very high throughput, the only one on the market suitable for high-volume production testing. The extreme mechanical speed of movement of 8 flying probes allows for up to 180 touches per second.

The time required to perform In-Circuit electrical test on an electronic board can then be reduced to:

• 35 seconds for a board with 500 nets;
• 71 seconds for a board with 1,000 nets;
• 3.5 minutes for a board with 3,000 nets;
• 28 minutes for a board with 24,000 nets.

The throughput of a SPEA flying probe tester can consequently vary from 100,000 to over 800,000 boards per year.

The new microelectronic technologies require a latest-generation flying probe tester, able to quickly contact their micro-pads without ever missing or damaging them. The micro-pads present on PCBs, flexible circuits, wafers and ceramic or glass supports can in fact require a positioning accuracy up to 10µm to be contacted reliably. Thanks to their extreme precision, SPEA flying probe systems are the only ones that can test the micro-pads of microelectronic components in a safe and repeatable way over time.
SPEA testers are equipped with a linear optical encoder on each axis to measure the position of the flying probes with a resolution of 12 nanometers.

The small and delicate test pads of printed supports (especially those in ceramic or glass), wafers and flexible circuits must be contacted by the flying probes with a controlled-force landing profile, in order to avoid marks that could degrade the contact point. The latest microelectronic technologies require the ability to quickly and safely touch test pads even smaller than 50µm on PCB and down to 20µm on wafer.

The ultra-fast linear motors of the Z-axis actuators feature a controlled-profile descent of the probes, according to the selected mode:

• Maximum speed: 10ms
• Soft Landing: 12ms
• Ultra-Soft Landing: 14ms
• Zero-Force Landing: multiple touches without contact point degradation.

Short circuits have always been the most subtle faults, and to identify them all before they can cause product malfunctions in the field it is necessary to perform electrical measurements on all the nets. Flying probe testers are ideal for contacting all physically accessible nets: it just takes a pitch larger than 50µm on PCB and larger than 20µm on wafer.
SPEA testers are the only ones on the market able to perform Short Circuit Test on all nets in a very short time: typically 15 seconds for 1,000 nets, 60 seconds for 4,000 nets.

SPEA has designed and manufactured a new series of automatic PCB handling Equipment, able to perform autonomous loading and unloading operations. SPEA Board Handling Equipment is available in modular configurations, which allow for quick changes on field, and stand out for their reduced footprint, as they take up just one third of the floor space typically needed by traditional PCB handling equipment.

Compact and efficient, SPEA Board Handling Equipment have an ergonomic design: the rack loading height is programmable, in order to match every requirement. The magazine positioning on the PCB Handling Equipment can be performed manually or automatically in different ways, for example using AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles), robots, conveyors or local magazine buffers. The Handling Equipment’ interconnectivity with both tester and LAN, through Ethernet TCP/IP interface, allows to achieve the benefits of Industry 4.0: working and sensor information can be transmitted to Big Data systems for predictive maintenance. Finally, the complete compatibility with conveyor-loading SPEA testers ensures that the handling equipment can be combined both with systems already in use or with new ones.

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SPEA automatic flying probe systems integrate the proprietary operating system Leonardo, designed for maximum ease of use in the generation and execution of test programs. The users can operate easily, through intuitive graphical interfaces, within an app-based software environment, with each application dedicated to a single testing function. Even if integrated into the operating system, in fact, each app is stand-alone and can be updated independently, without affecting the integrity of other apps or of the overall software. Similarly, existing test programs can be modified quickly, without requiring specific documentation or training, while the automatic generation of a new test program only takes a few minutes, with or without the board CAD files. Many other features are also available, such as automatic debug and tuning, real-time production analysis and monitoring, apps dedicated to board repair and reverse engineering functions.