Abstract: Automated apparatus transfers SMDs with leads for contacting mounting pad surfaces of surface mount PCBs from containers to nests on a rotatable dial, such that the nests support the SMDs by the leads without touching the body of an SMD. At a test station an elevator device elevated the nest to place an SMD in the nest in a test socket positioned above the dial so the SMD leads connect to test circuitry through contacts in the test socket. In a preferred embodiment the test socket is the base of a manual insert test socket and the nest performs the function of the lid of a manual insert test socket.

Abstract: A package handling apparatus for presenting circuit packages to a test head is provided which uses a soft handling approach throughout the system. The handler works with a plurality of sticks, with each stick adapted for holding a plurality of packages in a substantially horizontal linear array, with the linear array defining a linear axis for the stick. The handler includes an input elevator element for receiving a first stick loaded with a first package, for moving the first stick vertically to an index level. An input drive moves the first stick horizontally to an index position. A first pick-up removes the first package from the first stick and then moves the first package to a stage pick-up position. A stage element receives the first package, and presents it to the test head for testing. Once tested, the stage element moves the package to a stage exit position. A stage pick-up then places the first package in a stage row stick.

Abstract: An apparatus is configured to pick up and hold a pin grid array (PGA) and to automatically align it in that process by using the electrical lead pins themselves of the pin grid array as the indexing element for the pick up process. Included are a plurality of grippers, each of the grippers having an alignment surface for engaging from outside the rectangular perimeter of lead pins on the PGA, at least one side of the rectangular perimeter of the pins, each of the grippers having a gripper indexing surface. The apparatus also includes a base for holding the PGA and the plurality of grippers. The base has a base indexing surface for each gripper indexing surface, the base having a spring element for pulling on each of the grippers so as to bring each of the gripper indexing surfaces into juxtaposition with its respective base indexing surface.