Test & Measurement


Bed-of-nails PCB test fixture

27 January 2016 Test & Measurement Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services

This mechanical bed-of-nails test fixture, according to its maker Test Fixture Technologies, is the most widely used solution for printed circuit board (PCB) testing in South Africa. It is built with a sturdy aluminium enclosure whose 350 x 300 mm footprint makes it especially suitable for benchtop use.

The fixture uses a sophisticated lifting mechanism to precisely raise a platen containing the spring-loaded test probes from below the unit under test (UUT). Unique tapered tooling pins precisely position the UUT and, together with linear guide pins and bushes, ensure highly accurate, repeatable and reliable contacting of test points down to 50 mil (1,27 mm) pitch and probe counts up to 300.

Experienced engineers carefully customise the design of each and every fixture specifically for the board that is being tested. Parts are CNC machined to perfectly support the board from both sides, thus ensuring that it does not experience any mechanical stresses during testing. Interfacing of power and data is usually done through panel-mount connectors on the rear face of the enclosure.



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

hybridNETBOX instrumentation platform
Vepac Electronics Test & Measurement
The hybridNETBOX from Spectrum Instrumentation is an innovative instrumentation platform that combines a multi-channel arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) and a digitiser in a single portable unit.

Read more...
14-bit AWG at 20 GS/s
Vepac Electronics Test & Measurement
The Arb Rider AWG-7000 is the world’s fastest 14-bit Arbitrary Waveform Generator, featuring a 20 GS/s real time update rate and 14-bit vertical resolution.

Read more...
Additions to APD5000 series oscilloscopes
Osiris Technical Systems Test & Measurement
Each unit is equipped with an integrated CAT II digital multimeter, three programmable power supplies, a dedicated trigger line, and an arbitrary waveform generator.

Read more...
Case Study: Siemens Valor automation solution
ASIC Design Services Editor's Choice Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services
Electronics manufacturer BMK used Siemens Valor to enhance accuracy and speed up bill-of-materials quotations.

Read more...
Handheld RTSA up to 9,5 GHz
Vepac Electronics Test & Measurement
The PXE-90 implements an FFT engine on the built-in FPGA and support frame compression with trace detection while ensuring no missing samples between FFT frames.

Read more...
InterCal introduces a new range of calibrators
Intercal Test & Measurement
Calibration is a critical process in numerous industries, from manufacturing to healthcare, ensuring that instruments and devices provide accurate and reliable measurements.

Read more...
Power Energy Meter for solar projects
Mimic Components Test & Measurement
The Mi550 Power Energy Meter is a handheld three-phase power quality analyser that connects externally with Rogowski coils or voltage-type CTs, allowing for testing without disconnection.

Read more...
MT8870A for NTN NB-IoT testing
Tamashi Technology Investments Test & Measurement
Samsung Electronics has selected the Anritsu Universal Wireless Test Set MT8870A for use on the mass-production lines of the Galaxy S25.

Read more...
XJLink-PF40 JTAG controller
ASIC Design Services Test & Measurement
XJTAG, a specialist in electronic testing, has released its new XJLink-PF40 JTAG controller together with version 4 of its popular PCB software testing suite.

Read more...
INTEGRA Biosciences’ reagent dispenser now supports SiLA-2 integration
Test & Measurement
This new functionality will make it even easier to integrate the WELLJET into automated laboratory workflows, helping labs to enhance their productivity and reproducibility.

Read more...