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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Method and apparatus for performing automated circuit board solder quality inspections

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6154446

An apparatus is described for measuring structural characteristics of selection portions of a circuit board having components disposed upon and electrically connected thereto at solder joints, comprising: means for providing a beam of X-rays; means for receiving and for selectively positioning a circuit board, the circuit board having components coupled thereto at solder joints, within the beam of X-rays; means for detecting X-rays transmitted through the circuit board, and providing an electronic image thereof; means for converting the electronic image into a gray scale coded image; and means for storing a library of measurement algorithms and predetermined measurement parameters corresponding thereto, for receiving the gray scale coded image for analyzing the gray scale coded image by selecting measurement algorithms from the library of measurement algorithms with the selected measurement algorithms corresponding to certain structural characteristics of the circuit board, performing predetermined computational analysis on the gray scale coded image based upon each selected measurement algorithm, and providing a resultant analysis value corresponding to each computational analysis.

Assignee:
IRT Corp., San Diego, CA
Patent Number(s):
US 4809308
OSTI ID:
6154446
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English