Abstract: For use with a circuit tester having a pointed probe tip, the clip has a "U"-shaped configuration formed of first and second moveably connected wire clamping elements which define a recess. The elements are spreadable to accept the wire and biased toward a closed position to retain the wire securely within aligned channels provided for this purpose. Openings extend through the elements and intersect the channels to permit a pointed probe tip to extend through the clip, pierce the wire insulation and contact the wire. Finger grip portions, extending from the elements, may be provided to facilitate spreading of the elements. The clip may be formed of a single flexible molded plastic part or may be two rigid parts, hingedly connected and spring loaded towards the closed position.

Abstract: A circuit board testing apparatus includes a plurality of contact elements located in a contact array plane. The contact elements are connected to an electronic control and test structure and during testing are connected through longitudinally rigid test pins to contact portions of a connection carrier or circuit board to be tested. The contact elements are mounted to yield resiliently and are supported against the contact pressure applied during testing. The contact elements are in the form of electrically conductive compression springs located and guided directly in bores in a spring contact array body formed of an electrically insulating material. The rigid test pins seat directly on the compression springs.

Abstract: An arrangement for the measurement of electronic units with a large number of connection points situated close to one another and constituting points of measurement, as in integrated circuits. The arrangement comprises a measuring device (1) with at least one fastening member by means of which the arrangement is secured to the electronic unit in a specific, fixed position. Spring-loaded contact elements (2) provided on the measuring device are so arranged as to come into electrical contact with measurement points on the electronic unit. The positioning of the contact elements on the measuring device forms a pre-determined pattern which matches directly the measurement points on the electronic unit. The fastening member is provided with a recess. The aforementioned recess is connected, via a preferably elongated, tubular and flexible element (19), to an air suction arrangement.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus detect the presence of and correct for timing misalignment between waveforms acquired by digital oscilloscopes. In a preferred embodiment, a digital oscilloscope (50) includes a waveform alignment system (60) that receives a first waveform (86) and a similar second waveform (88) of a periodic electrical signal. A digital signal processor (80) of the waveform alignment system generates an autocorrelation value in connection with the first waveform and a first cross-correlation value in connection with the first and second waveforms and compares the values to determine whether they differ by more than a preselected tolerance, thereby to detect a timing misalignment between the first and second waveforms.

Abstract: A solid-state watthour meter for registering AC electrical energy consumption by a load connected to a source of AC load current and AC line voltage includes a voltage sensing transducer for producing a signal corresponding to the line voltage and a current sensing transducer for producing a signal corresponding to the load current. A solid-state measurement circuit receives the voltage and current signals as its inputs and produces an output signal corresponding to the AC electrical energy consumption of the load. A power supply, including a regulator circuit having a calibration resistor, provides a DC voltage to the measurement circuit. The DC voltage across the regulator circuit is dependent on the impedance of the calibration resistor. The measurement circuit includes apparatus for relating the registration of the meter to the DC supply voltage. The calibration resistor is readily removably electrically connected in the regulator circuit.

Abstract: An electron beam system and method for testing three dimensional networks of conductors embedded in an insulating material specimen without physical contact to detect open and short circuit conditions. Top to top surface wiring is tested by irradiating the specimen with an electron beam at a first beam potential to charge the specimen while negatively biasing a grid placed above the specimen surface, and then irradiating selected portions of the specimen with an electron beam at a second beam potential to read the charge on selected conductors while applying a zero or a positive bias to the grid. In one embodiment the charge beam is a focused scanning beam and the first beam potential is preferably greater than the second beam potential.

Abstract: A determination of whether each of a pair of interconnected nodes (22) on a circuit board (12) is connected to a corresponding one of a pair of nodes (28) on a translator board (14) via a test fixture pin (18) is had by coupling one of the translator board nodes to circuit ground. The other of the pair of nodes on the translator board is coupled to the gate of a field effect transistor (FET) (34) whose gate-to-source portion is shunted by a capacitor (38). The drain-to-source portion of the FET (34) is coupled in series with a resistor (36) between circuit ground and a voltage source supplying a potential below ground potential. When continuity exists between each of the pair of nodes (22 and 28) and each of the pair of pins (18), the FET(34) conducts, causing the voltage across the resistor (36) to change. By monitoring the voltage across the resistor (36), an indication can be had as to whether continuity exists.

Abstract: A lower needle adapter has lower, resilient contact needles and an upper needle adapter has upper, resilient contact needles which are provided for contacting of both sides of component equipped printed circuit boards. Defined contacting conditions having correspondingly high contact reliabilities are achieved in that the printed circuit boards are pressed against opposite pressure rams arranged in non-yielding fashion, being pressed thereagainst by resiliently fashioned pressure rams. When resilient, upper pressure rams are used to press the printed circuit boards against lower pressure rams which are adjustable in height in two stages, then a both-sided, two-stage contacting can be realized in a simple way with corresponding, additional, shorter lower and upper contact needles.

Abstract: A method of testing conductor networks on printed circuit boards and wiring modules comprising charging various points on the conductor network with one or more charging beams while simultaneously irridating the conductor network with a large area holding beam which compensates for charge losses during the charge detecting period which determines whether shorts or open circuits occur in the network.

Abstract: A current-measuring device in accordance with the invention comprises an annular magnetic circuit having separate first and second magnetic circuit portions (1, 2) with ends suitable for coming face-to-face to form a closed magnetic circuit, a housing (5) surrounding at least the first portion (1) of the magnetic circuit, magnetic flux detection apparatus (12) for detecting a magnetic flux in the magnetic circuit, and locking apparatus for locking the two magnetic circuit portions against each other; the device is characterized in that the locking apparatus comprise a bearing member (7) carried by the housing and pivot apparatus (7) enabling at least one of the magnetic circuit portions to pivot relative to the housing, in such a manner that during pivoting the second magnetic portion comes into contact with the bearing member and is firmly held against the first magnetic circuit portion thereby.

Abstract: A method and tool for use with "bed of nails" fixturized automatic test equipment for printed circuit cards for verifying the continuity of component pins with the test nails of the system where the pins of the component are not accessible from the component side of the card. A tool is affixed beneath the component to short out all of the pins thereof and a node accessible from the component side of the board that makes contact with one or more of the pins of the component (such as power or ground) is probed with the continuity probe of the system while a continuity test is performed with respect to each of the test nails associated with the pins and nodes of the component.

Abstract: The invention provides an ammeter specially suited for measuring the currents passing in high voltage, high power A.C. lines and, when required, storage of the resultant information, together with time of day and date over an extended period of time. The ammeter employs two C-shaped cores defining between two of the core arms a relatively large permanent gap that can pass the power line to facilitate mounting on the line using a live-line stick. One embodiment intended for mounting for an extended period of time also employs a clamp that can be manipulated using the stick to clamp it to the line and unclamp it, the clamp and core being related so that the power line passes through the center of the space between the cores. An embodiment intended for "spot" measurements has a locating member that performs the same function. A third device has the locating member in two parts that pivot to enable a large power conductor to pass through the slot in the locating member to the closed locating end thereof.

Abstract: An solid-state electricity meter includes an electronic measuring unit with an analog/digital converter which receives signals from amplifiers for various measurement ranges, and a control section with a microcomputer wherein the meter signal is processed, taking into account correction factors for the various elements of the circuit. Each correction factor is a single value for each respective measurement range, and the correction factors for each range are contained in corresponding meter-characteristic quantities which are stored in the electricity meter. Each meter-characteristic quantity represents a measurement value corresponding to a specific quantity of energy. Only a few (e.g., only 4) meter-characteristic quantities need be stored in the electricity meter. These meter-characteristic quantitites can be determined in a conventional calibration procedure, and they enable all the fixed errors of the signal processing to be compensated.

Abstract: An apparatus which is used for non-contact electrical measurement and physical alteration of certain characteristics and properties of electronic conductor devices. The apparatus includes a focused source of ultraviolet light which is capable of micron and sub-micron resolution. In the measurement mode the apparatus measures the energy of electrons ejected from a measurement site by the UV beam. This measurement is accomplished at a nulling/repelling device. In the alteration mode, the focused UV light beam interacts with various compounds, for example chemical gases, to create a selective reaction at specific locations at the surface of the device being operated upon. The measurement function can be related to voltage, current, temperature or the like and may be either qualitative or quantitative while being made in a non-contact basis.

Abstract: A testing device for testing the quality of through-hole plating of a printed circuit board employs probes having pyramidical tips, with the edges of the probe tips contacting the ends of the through-hole plating. The probe edges are insulated from each other, so that the device can easily carry out Kelvin four-point testing. Because contact is needed only at the probe edges, lighter force can be applied to the probes, and plating damage can be avoided. The device also is constructed to avoid interference from stray varying magnetic fields. This is done by keeping the area of a voltage loop between the probes as small as possible, by use of ferromagnetic members to divert stray fields to the outside of the loop, and by use of a dual-slope integrating digital to analog converter.

Abstract: A voltage measuring device for accurately sensing the AC load voltage at remote, distal end of a long, two-conductor cable, the measuring device comprising a parallel arrangement of an AC source and a DC voltmeter, located at the proximal, source end of the cable, and an AC load in parallel with a passive, DC producing module at the distal, load end of the cable, the passive module further comprising a passive, DC producing voltage divider, the output of which is proportional to the AC load voltage drop.

Abstract: In a system for troubleshooting a unit containing microprocessor-based digital circuitry including a bus, wherein the system includes a digital test apparatus that emulates the microprocessor of the unit to test components on the bus and a device for interfacing signals between the test apparatus and the microprocessor comprises a clip that mounts to the microprocessor in electrical contact with the microprocessor leads. The clip preferably is of a type adapted to attach resiliently to the leads of all four sides of a soldered-in microprocessor in a leaded chip carrier housing. A connector to couple the clip to the test apparatus through a wire harness is mounted on a printed circuit board carrying pins corresponding to the lines of the microprocessor bus and the clip, and cables extending from the circuit board to the clip are coupled to the pins of the circuit board and clip by push connectors.

Abstract: Spot defects are detected utilizing an apparatus which comprises a meander structure formed in a high resistivity material on a substrate. The meandor includes intermediate segments, the ends of which are interconnected by folded segments such that an electrical circuit having electrical resistance R is formed between the ends of the meander. A strip of high electrical conductivity material is formed in substantial alignment with and is electrically insulated from a corresponding one of each of the intermediate segments. Each end of each strip is electrically connected to a corresponding end of a corresponding intermediate segment. Defects are identified by measuring the resistance R, between the ends of the meander. This measured value is then compared to the calculated value of R. If the value of the measured resistance is substantially smaller than the calculated value, a flaw due to a spot of additional high conductivity material, is considered to be present.

Abstract: An electric testing system to be attached to a water heater to permit instantaneous testing of the operability of each heating element comprising a separate branch circuit including each heating element and a current flow detecting device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for performing a non-invasive electronic testing of hybrid circuit packages before components are mounted within the package and connected to the outwardly extending wired leads. The testing process disclosed herein includes passing a pair of adjacent lead wires over an energized test loop or coil that is etched upon a coil board. The coil board is mounted on a mouting plate and the entire assembly is connected to the terminals of a Q-meter. As the circuit package under test is passed over the wire-shaped open loop, those pairs of adjacent wires which are shorted will indicate a low Q. On the other hand, those adjacent wires thatr are not shorted to each other in the package body will indicate a higher Q.