Abstract: In a process and apparatus for inspecting welding points (or solder joints) for defects by means of X-rays, before the welding points are inspected, the values of predeterminable measurement parameters, such as height of a welding meniscus or rise of a grey scale value curve generated by the device, are determined for reference welding points. When the welding points are subsequently inspected, selected measurement parameters are evaluated.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process and circuit arrangement for testing solder joints, preferably on printed circuit boards, whereby the quality of the solder joints is examined for defects using X-rays and qualitative information on the individual solder joints is obtained. According to the invention, the qualitative and/or the measured values of the individual solder joints that characterize the measured physical parameters of the tested solder joints, are used to control the manufacture of further solder joints in the production process in which solder joints are tested.