Testing is a fundamental part of any production process. Such being the case, no ROQSTAR Ethernet Switch leaves our factory without having been thoroughly tested. TRONTEQ has recently started using flying probe testing in order to enormously increase the test depth in the production.

What Do We Test?
With our one and only focus on public transport, we have always aimed at delivering the best product possible to our customers. Electronic components play a crucial part for the functionality of our ROQSTAR Ethernet Switches. Thus, we pay special attention to the quality of the PCBAs (Printed Circuit Board Assembly), which have always been subjected to highly reliable electronic tests.
Flying Probe Testing
Usually, an In-Circuit Test (ICT) is performed, that involves what is called a “nail bed fixture”. The term refers to a fixture of pins, specifically designed to work with one particular PCBA. The spring-loaded pins link up with their corresponding contact points on the board to connect test equipment to the PCBA. The test equipment then, performs measuring of electrical parameter in the final circuit on the PCBA.
A flying probe test (FPT) is an ICT-type which works without a fixture. The probes are moveable and advance seamlessly and with tremendous speed from one test point to the other, which gives the illusion of “flying” probes. The needles and movement are highly precise (including pitches under 1,0 mm) to ensure that no electrical defects on the board go undetected. The software of a flying probe tester supports a very easy extraction of test parameters from circuit diagrams as well as creating test procedures. This provides unbeatable flexibility and simplicity of implementing very complex tests.
Furthermore, the designed measuring technology within the flying probe machine is extremely precise and powerful. A minimum pad size of 60µm in combination with a 25µm repeatability allows the probe placement almost everywhere in the test area. With a dual four quadrant power supply up to 80V and 2A, a frequency generator with up to 2A every relevant component can be tested.
The measurment gear inside the machine allows a 16bit resolution of measurments and even measuring the most critical component with a direct Kelvin connection or by inserting a optional first and second guard point into component clusters. Even if a component is not contactable via traditional test points, the goal of 100% testing coverage can be fullfilled by cluster measurements in combination with automatic optical inspection steps. In addition, all test results are being documented for.
See it for yourself:
How TRONTEQ Customers Benefit From Our New Testing Method
The advantages for our customers leave no doubt about this method:
- Test depth of over 99 %
- Higher accuracy up to 0.25 mm
- High confidence for long term quality
- Traceability of every single test
- Flexibility (very fast adaptation of new tests)
This way, public transport companies can be sure, they receive nothing but the best quality of Ethernet Switches, ready to be installed on the vehicles and provide a highly reliable network.
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