5 In-Circuit Board Tester Manufacturers in 2022
This section provides overview, applications, and principles of in-circuit board testers. Also, please take a look at the list of 5 in-circuit board tester manufacturers and their company rankings.
Table of Contents
What Is an In-Circuit Board Tester?
Electronic circuit boards are an integral part of electronic equipment. For an electronic device to function properly, the electronic circuit board must operate properly. An in-circuit tester inspects the board with the electronic components mounted on it. in-circuit board tester can electrically inspect the characteristics of individual components mounted on the board without moving the board, using only a small amount of power. The tester can locate defective parts without damaging the board, and can reliably detect defective parts that are difficult to find with the human eye.
Uses of In-Circuit Board Testers
There are two types of in-circuit board testers: press-type in-circuit board testers and flying probe testers. Press-type in-circuit board testers are capable of high-speed inspection and are suitable for mass-produced boards. They are also used for inspection jigs. Flying probe testers do not require inspection jigs and are suitable for low-volume, high-mix boards. It can also be used for fine patterns. Specifically, it is used to check for solder short/open defects, defects caused by wrong constants for capacitors, inductors, resistors, etc., defects of missing parts such as capacitors, inductors, resistors, diodes, transistors, etc., lead float defects of ICs and connectors, and operation of photocouplers, digital transistors and Zener diodes. The test is also used to check the operation of photocouplers, digital transistors, and Zener diodes. Special tests include image inspection of electrically uninspectable components, adhesion (solder) defect inspection of SOPs and QFPs, and simple function inspection.
Principle of In-Circuit Board Testers
An in-circuit tester consists of a measurement section for electrical inspection, a scanner section for switching the measurement line, a probing section for energizing the measurement line to a specific location on the board to be inspected, and a control section for controlling these sections. The constant of an electronic component is measured from the values of voltage and current when a measurement signal is applied to the probing unit. Since electric circuits generally form a network, it is difficult to measure the constants of individual elements, but in-circuit board testers are equipped with the following functions to improve inspection accuracy.
1. Guarding function
This function electrically isolates the effect of errors caused by currents due to parallel connections.
2. Phase Separation
When an AC signal is applied to a circuit network composed of resistors, inductors, and capacitors, a phase difference is generated between the current and voltage. This phase difference makes it possible to accurately measure the constants of each element. Since inspections are performed electrically in this way, defects that cannot be detected visually, such as the wrong number of parts or defects caused by micro-shorts, can be detected with certainty.
In-Circuit Board Testers and Flying Checker
In-circuit board testers and flying checkers are explained. A flying checker is one type of in-circuit tester and is an inspection jig that mainly applies a probe to identify open shorts in mounted components on a board. It takes more time to inspect than a standard press-type in-circuit tester, but is used when the emphasis is on the fact that it does not require preparation of programs or pin boards. Also called a flying probe checker, it creates a net list from Gerber data and uses that data to inspect for broken wires by placing a prope at the beginning and end of the board. It then inspects for shorts by applying a probe between one of its nets and an adjacent net.
Some types of flying checkers have been modified from bare board checkers and can be used as general in-circuit tests after mounting. Specifically, inspection is performed by clamping the board from both sides with two or four probes. The main manufacturer is Hioki Electric. This tester inspects the open and short-circuit conditions of a printed circuit board. There are two types of testers: one checks for electrical continuity, and the other measures C-capacitance to find short circuits.
Function Tester
Function testers are inspection jigs that serve a completely different purpose than in-circuit board testers, which are often compared to inspect similar boards in the board manufacturing process. While the main purpose of an in-circuit tester is to inspect whether a circuit is open or shorted, a function tester is used to check whether the circuit components themselves have the correct functions, such as resistance constants and input/output operations.
Function tests performed by function testers are designed to verify that there are no problems by performing electrical operations on the inputs and outputs of the circuitry on the board. Usually called a function test, the function tester applies electrical signals specified in the specifications to the input terminals of the board to be tested and verifies whether or not the outputs are as specified. In addition, we can also inspect parts that are difficult to check by just using an open/short test with an in-circuit tester, such as switches and LEDs, and also inspect integrated circuits such as MCUs and various ICs. Integrated circuit operation and software writing for MCUs and various ICs are also performed. Therefore, when comparing in-circuit testing and function testing, function testing is more important, and most products prioritize function testing.
List of 5 In-Circuit Board Tester Manufacturers
*Including some distributors, etc.
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HIOKI
In-circuit tester
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In-Circuit Board Tester Manufacturer Ranking
*Including some distributors, etc.Ranking as of January 2023 in United States
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GOEPEL electronic | 25% |
| 2 | HIOKI | 25% |
| 3 | ABI Electronics | 25% |
| 4 | REINHARDT System- und Messelectronic | 25% |
Ranking as of January 2023 Globally
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GOEPEL electronic | 25% |
| 2 | HIOKI | 25% |
| 3 | ABI Electronics | 25% |
| 4 | REINHARDT System- und Messelectronic | 25% |
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the in-circuit board tester page as of January 2023. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
- REINHARDT System- und Messelectronic: 2009 (14 years ago)
- GOEPEL electronic: 1991 (32 years ago)
- ABI Electronics: 1983 (40 years ago)
Company with a History
- ABI Electronics: 1983 (40 years ago)
- GOEPEL electronic: 1991 (32 years ago)
- REINHARDT System- und Messelectronic: 2009 (14 years ago)
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