Alternative Fixture Reduces PCBA Test Costs

Manufacturing test departments that find it hard to justify building expensive fixtures for testing prototype printed-circuit-board assemblies now have an inexpensive alternative to conventional in-circuit fixtures. The HR SR1300 fixture interface accommodates assemblies with up to 1296 nodes, cutting fixture test costs by as much as 50 percent. The new interface, which expands the capabilities of the HP 3070 family of in-circuit test systems, achieves significant cost savings by splitting the conventional assembly fixture into two units. One is the reusable HP SR1300 fixture interface, which includes all of the parts common to the testing of any board. The other unit is the inexpensive, MDA-style fixture, which consists of parts that are unique to the specific assembly to be tested. The fixture can accommodate vacuum-actuated assemblies with a maximum probing area of 375 mm wide by 291 mm high.