ProbeMaster - Complete Bare Board Electrical Test Solution

ProbeMaster is your complete solution to bare board electrical testing. ProbeMaster allows you to control the entire electrical testing process from beginning to end:

• Gerber Data Editing and CAM
• Netlist Extraction, Conversion, and Comparison
• Downloads for any combination of Moving Probe, Multi-Plate Fixturing, Clam Shell or Wire Wrap
• Drill Files and Road Maps for building Multi-Plate Fixtures and Wire Wrapping
• NC Drill and Rout Editing
• PCB Fault Verification and Repair

Join the thousands of satisfied customers who have profited from PentaLogix's PC-platform software solutions since 1985.

Contents:

CAM/Data Preparation

Data preparation is one of the most important, yet most ignored, steps for trouble-free electrical testing. PentaLogix understands that good, clean data, properly prepared for your testing methodology is key to successful PCB electrical testing and verification/repair. That is why ProbeMaster provides a powerful CAM workstation. Whether it's Universal Fixturing, Dedicated or Moving Probe technology, or a combination of these technologies, the following CAMMaster features ensure properly prepared data.

Click here for the CAMMaster Specifications.

NC Drilling and Routing

ProbeMaster includes a complete NC Drilling and Routing module that gives you the features required to build today's complex fixtures. The module includes such advanced features as Counter boring, Slotting, Peck Drilling and Pocket Routing, to name a few. Point and click menus, saved table configurations, and true WYSIWYG graphics ensure ease of use.

Click here for the complete RoutMaster specifications.

Fixturing

Top of Page

Flexibility, advanced features, and ease of use are hallmarks of PentaLogix's fixturing module.

In today's diverse market, you need flexibility to fixture for PCBs of varying levels of complexity. Because you may have different fixture styles in your test department, PentaLogix has made switching between multiple setups easy. All system parameters and configurations are saved in one job file. Save a job for each setup. When you need to process a similarly configured job, you load the old job file, and you are ready to go. Job files also serve another purpose. When you complete a fixturing project, all your Net data, Drill files, Tester downloads, Repair data, etc. are saved in a single job file. Imagine, one file for a complete job.

PentLogix incorporates many advanced algorithms, such as Priority Pin Drop, Ring Net identification, and a Dynamic Drill Table. Some to ensure proper pin placement from the personality of the PCB to your grid configuration, some to ensure complete and accurate test, and some to ensure manufacturability of the fixture.

Easy-to-use features such as point-and-click menus, on-line DRC, and Help menus make complex fixturing tasks a breeze.

Join the hundreds of PentaLogix customers who have converted from old fixturing processes to our modern stream-lined process.

Please click here for the highlights of the fixturing module.

Moving Probe

Top of Page

Today's high-density packaging and complex design often require testing parameters that cannot be fulfilled with conventional fixturing. PentaLogix recognizes in many cases, Moving Probe technology is the answer, and allows you to create Netlist Downloads and Adjacency data for proper Moving Probe testing.

For large-lot testing of complex designs, Combination Testing using both moving probe and conventional fixturing may be required. ProbeMaster can maximize throughput in the test department by splitting out the high-density nets to be tested on the Moving Probe and leaving the balance to be tested on a conventional grid tester.

Accurate adjacency data is a major factor in the quality of a Moving Probe test. ProbeMaster scans all layers of the netlist to accurately create adjacency data.

Graphical display of Net Data, Soldermask, Silk Screen, and Adjacency Numbers allows you to ensure the data is correct prior to testing.

Following is a list of features:

• Probe Head Collision Checking
• Two or Three-Point Staggering of Probe Placement
• Step & Repeat of Net Data with Adjacency
• Fiducial Marking for Optical Alignment
• Ring Net Checking
• Graphical Net Inspection
• Net Replace

Test Point Generation

With complex testing requirements, fixturing issues, and tester limitations you need flexibility to fulfill today's testing demands. PentaLogix provides flexibility in the following test point generation options:

• Single Point Nets: Generates test points for complete nets that have only one point.
• Use Gerber Solder Mask: Uses Gerber solder mask data to identify exposed pad landings.
• Use Gerber Silk Screen: Uses Gerber silk screen data to identify exposed pad landings.
• Balance Through-Holes: Evenly balances probe placement between top and bottom fixtures.
• One Test Point Per Net: Generates only a single test point per net.
• Component Side Through-Holes: Allows all Through-Holes to be tested on component side.
• Barrel Optimize: Places test points for Through-Holes on opposite side of board from trace intersection. This ensures 100% test of Through-Hole conductivity.
• Surface Mount Pads: Selects whether to test all Surface-Mount points or only endpoints.
• Through-Hole Pads: Selects whether to test all Through-Hole points or only endpoints.
• Test Vias: Selects whether to test vias or not.
• Test Via Endpoints: Commonly used for In-Circuit test.
• Use IPC Soldermask: Uses the Soldermask flag in an IPC file to identify exposed pad landings.
• Isolate Component Generate: Select a high density area such as a BGA, test points will be generated for nets that leave the area. Useful for combining flying probe with conventional testing.

Netlist Conversion & Netlist Compare

Top of Page

Data integrity is a must for today's complex PCBs, and our Netlist Conversion and Comparison modules allow you to easily identify netlist discrepancies.

Conversion

The conversion module converts the CAD netlist into a PentaLogix format that is useable by all modules of the ProbeMaster system, including the netlist comparison module.

Comparison

The comparison module loads three databases simultaneously: the CAD netlist, the Gerber extracted netlist, and the original Gerber data. After the comparison, highlighted discrepancy flags automatically indicate differences. You can inspect and edit nets associated with each discrepancy.

Inspection: Once the routine identifies and flags differences between nets, you can further inspect the two nets:

• Show only the first net, or only the second net.
• Show both nets and no others.
• Show the similar points in both nets.
• Show the different points between both nets.

Report file: The routine also generates a report file containing the result of the comparison. You can include specific points in the report file as well.

• Net Element Counts.
• All Discrepancy Points (Net identification and Coordinates).
• User-Selected Points (Net identification and Coordinates).

PCB Repair/Verification and Fixture Debugging

Top of Page

Verify! displays the entire contents of a ProbeMaster job file, including silkscreen and soldermask data.
When you manually or automatically load fault data from your tester, Verify! correlates the fault data to the actual points and nets in the PCB data.

For the lastest Verify! specifications, please click here.

Back to ProbeMaster