Granted Patent B2

US 7,034,558 · App. 10/209,745 · Granted Apr 25, 2006

Abstract

Claims (77)

1. A system for electrically connecting a device under test and a test circuit board, the device comprising at least a first electrical contact point, a second electrical contact point, and a third electrical contact point, the system comprising:

a contactor for electrically connecting the device under test to the test circuit board,

the contactor including:

means for electrically bypassing the test circuit board between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point; and

means for bringing the third electrical contact point in electrical communication with the test circuit board;

wherein the contactor includes a device side and a circuit board side:

wherein the device side faces the device under test and the circuit board side faces the test circuit board during a test of the device under test;

wherein the contactor further includes dielectric material located between the circuit board side and the device side, the dielectric material including a portion located between the means for electrically bypassing the test circuit board and the means for bringing the third electrical contact point in electrical communication with the test circuit board.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the means for electrically bypassing further comprises means for shorting the first electrical contact point to the second electrical contact point.

3. A system for electrically connecting a device under test and a test circuit board, the device comprising at least a first electrical contact point, a second electrical contact point, and a third electrical contact point, the system comprising:

a contactor for electrically connecting the device under test to the test circuit board,

the contactor including;

means for electrically bypassing the test circuit board between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point; and

means for bringing the third electrical contact point in electrical communication with the test circuit board;

wherein the means for electrically bypassing comprises a slug.

4. A system for electrically connecting a device under test and a test circuit board, the device comprising at least a first electrical contact point, a second electrical contact point, and a third electrical contact point, the system comprising:

a contactor for electrically connecting the device under test to the test circuit board,

the contactor including:

means for electrically bypassing the test circuit board between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point; and

means for bringing the third electrical contact point in electrical communication with the test circuit board;

wherein the means for electrically bypassing comprises a flexible circuit.

5. A system for electrically connecting a device under test and a test circuit board, the device comprising at least a first electrical contact point, a second electrical contact point, and a third electrical contact point, the system comprising:

means for electrically bypassing the test circuit board between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point; and

means for bringing the third electrical contact point in electrical communication with the test circuit board;

wherein means for bypassing comprise a means for shorting an emitter pin of an amplifier to ground.

6. A method for testing an electronic device, the method comprising:

electrically connecting the device to a test circuit board using a contactor, the contactor includes a circuit board side and the test circuit board includes a side, the device having at least a first electrical contact point, a second electrical contact point, and a third electrical contact point;

electrically bypassing the test circuit board between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point using a first electrical pathway of the contactor;

bringing the third electrical contact point in communication with the test circuit board using a second electrical pathway of the contactor; and applying a test method to the device;

wherein the electrically connecting the device to a test circuit board further includes having the contactor positioned such that the circuit board side faces the side of the test circuit board;

wherein the contactor includes a device side;

wherein the contactor includes dielectric material located between the circuit board side and the device side, the dielectric material including a portion located between the first electrical pathway and the second electrical pathway.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

the contactor includes a fourth electrical contact point electrically connected to the second electrical pathway;

the test circuit board includes an electrical contact point;

wherein the bringing the third electrical contact point in communication with the test circuit board includes the fourth electrical contact point electrically contacting the electrical contact point of the test circuit board.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the contactor includes a device side wherein the electrically connecting the device to a test circuit board further includes having the contactor positioned such that the device side faces the device under test.

9. A method for testing an electronic device, the method comprising:

electrically connecting the device to a test circuit board, the device having at least a first electrical contact point, a second electrical contact point, and a third electrical contact point;

electrically bypassing the test circuit board between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point;

bringing the third electrical contact point in communication with the test circuit board; and

applying a test method to the device;

wherein the device comprises an amplifier; wherein the applying a test method comprises applying a gain test.

10. A method for testing an electronic device, the method comprising:

electrically connecting the device to a test circuit board, the device having at least a first electrical contact point, a second electrical contact point, and a third electrical contact point;

electrically bypassing the test circuit board between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point;

bringing the third electrical contact point in communication with the test circuit board; and

applying a test method to the device; wherein the device comprises an amplifier; wherein the applying a test method comprises applying third order intercept test.

11. A method for testing an electronic device, the method comprising:

electrically connecting the device to a test circuit board, the device having at least a first electrical contact point, a second electrical contact point, and a third electrical contact point;

electrically bypassing the test circuit board between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point;

bringing the third electrical contact point in communication with the test circuit board; and

applying a test method to the device; wherein the device comprises an amplifier; wherein the applying a test method comprises applying noise figure test.

12. A method for testing an electronic device, the method comprising:

electrically connecting the device to a test circuit board, the device having at least a first electrical contact point, a second electrical contact point, and a third electrical contact point;

electrically bypassing the test circuit board between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point;

bringing the third electrical contact point in communication with the test circuit board; and

applying a test method to the device;

wherein the device comprises an amplifier;

wherein the electrically bypassing the test circuit board between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point further comprises shorting the emitter pin of the amplifier to ground.

13. A method of reducing the inductance between an amplifier under test and a test circuit board, the method comprising:

temporarily bringing the amplifier in electrical communication with the test circuit board;

electrically bypassing the test circuit board between an emitter pin of the amplifier and a second pin of the amplifier; and

grounding the second pin.

14. A system for electrically connecting a device under test and a test circuit board, the device comprising at least a first electrical contact point, a second electrical contact point, and a third electrical contact point, the system comprising:

a contactor for electrically connecting the device under test to the test circuit board,

the contactor including:

means for electrically bypassing the test circuit board between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point; and

means for bringing the third electrical contact point in electrical communication with the test circuit board;

wherein the contactor further includes:

a device side;

a circuit board side;

wherein the device side comprises at least three electrical contact points to provide electrical contact with the first electrical contact point, the second electrical contact point, and the third electrical contact point of the device under test;

wherein the circuit board side comprises a fourth electrical contact point to provide electrical contact with the circuit board;

wherein the means for electrically bypassing the test circuit board includes a first electrical pathway between a first electrical contact point of the device side and a second electrical contact point of the device side, wherein the first electrical pathway bypasses the circuit board;

wherein the means for bringing the third electrical contact point includes a second electrical pathway between a third electrical contact point of the device side and the fourth electrical contact point of the circuit board side;

wherein the contactor further includes dielectric material located between the circuit board side and the device side, the dielectric material including a portion located between the first electrical pathway and the second electrical pathway.

Assignments (17)