December 7, 2009 – The Helix brand of test probes from AlphaTest Corp. is available in diameters of 20, 16, 12, and 8 mils. This new generation of fine-pitch test probes can probe electrical targets with +/- 15 micron pointing accuracy on 10-mil center-to-center placement, the company says.
“With the drive toward product miniaturization, many electronic assemblies have small testing targets on close center-to-center spacing that cannot be contacted by traditional test probes,” the company explains. “When this occurs, electronics manufacturers must locate and use fine-pitch test probes. Otherwise they risk not being able to advance product functionalities due to the inability to miniaturize, the omission of at least some test procedures, or scrapping a product update altogether.”
AlphaTest says its probes prevent these undesirable options for electronic-assembly producers. Its products include fine-pitch spring-loaded test probes that can meet the mechanical challenges of testing miniature circuits such as hybrids, RFID antennas, flex-circuits, flat panels, and several package types.
The company points to St. Jude Medical Inc. in Scottsdale, AZ as a successful user of its probes. The company uses AlphaTest products on miniature implant products it designs and manufactures for heart-related devices such as electronic pacemakers and defibrillation leads.
“In order to test these medical devices, we use the fine-pitch probes installed in electromechanical test fixtures,” says David Montgomery, production engineering manager with St. Jude. “The fixtures include a specified number of fine-pitch test probes, normally 20 mil or smaller, a guide plate and a latching mechanism, all manufactured by AlphaTest.”
On the Web: AlphaTest test probes
