Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Current Issue

Products

DRS 24 offers selective soldering and rework of SMD components including BGAs, QFPs, flip chips, CSPs and connectors. Has solid construction on a stable platform for precise, accurate movements. A 3500 W, underboard infra-red pre-heater, used with the 1000 W top heater, minimizes the temperature delta – crucial for the additional energy and control demanded by lead-free processes.

Soldering profiles are created with the user-friendly software and profile parameters are maintained within tight tolerances for repeatable results.

Ideal for repairs, prototyping, post-assembly and low-volume assembly of all devices using a new universal nozzle. Custom nozzles can also be supplied.

Zevac AG, zevac.ch

microme|x is a high resolution x-ray inspection system with a large scanning area (20 x 24"), a precise manipulation unit with 360° rotation axis and the approved ovhm technology for oblique views up to 70° at constant magnification. Operators can inspect large boards with mixed assemblies and acquire real-time oblique views under all angles.

Has board handling unit connection for fully automated loading of assembled boards in the production plant. In connection with the inspection software, XE², can perform a fully automated inspection and evaluation of BGA, CGA, QFP, THT and other solder joints. An interface for the CAD data import allows use of the original PCB layout to teach in the inspection routine. Inspection reports can be transferred to a rework station by the repair program quality. The SPC module allows statistical evaluation of the inspection results and the process supervision.

phoenix x-ray Systems + Services GmbH, phoenix-xray.com

CheckSum, announced that its combination of in-circuit test and boundary scan delivers test coverage equivalent to traditional "big iron" testers that can cost five times as much.

John VanNewkirk, president and CEO, said, "CheckSum's ICT plus boundary scan solution provides superior alignment between tester resources deployed and the actual fault spectrum of today's complex boards than traditional big-iron testers do."

CheckSum estimates that more than $250 million is wasted annually in North America alone due to the misalignment of big-iron testers with the actual faults found in today's boards. Two basic trends are converging, creating the opportunity for electronics manufacturers to use new, lower-cost approaches that provide a better alignment between test coverage and actual faults than the traditional ICT test methods used over the past two decades.

"First, component technology and the SMT assembly process itself have shifted the fault spectrum of a typical board such that big-iron ICT test capabilities are no longer aligned to it," said VanNewkirk. "For example, ICT vector testing was designed for the straightforward static logic of the devices of the 80s and early 90s. Modern ICs are not testable with conventional ICT 'backdrive' vectors because of access, speed and device complexity issues. As a result, expensive digital vector capability remains idle in virtually every big-iron ICT.

"Second, increasing density of circuit boards is significantly reducing electrical access to boards -- the lifeblood of in-circuit test. To offset loss of access, there's growing and widespread use of boundary scan-equipped devices. For CheckSum, boundary scan is a natural extension of our low-cost design philosophy because it achieves equivalent or better coverage compared to traditional backdrive vectors, but is far more usable for complex chips. Low-cost ICT and boundary scan are naturally complementary, and we believe this is the future of manufacturing test," VanNewkirk continued.

CheckSum, checksum.com