Scrubbing contact technology accelerates test socket
Smiths Interconnect has employed its Joule 20 failsafe scrubbing contact technology in its Joule 20 test socket for peripheral IC testing. According to Smiths, the technology is responsible for increased throughput and reliable high-frequency testing.
The Joule 20 test socket offers a drop in socket, matching existing PCB socket footprints. There is low contact resistance between the chip and the PCB, driving higher test yields. Other characteristics are a short signal path, providing high bandwidth up to 20GHz and a high frequency capability to ensure signal integrity and reliability. It is also tri-temp ready for a wide temperature range (from -40 to +125 degrees C).
The test socket’s electrical and mechanical performance is suitable for testing peripheral ICs for demanding communications, consumer, wearable and automotive applications. It has a long contact life, up to 500,000 insertions and its design allows for the housing to be disassembled without removing the socket from the PCB to enable cleaning and repair without taking production equipment offline.
Suitable for ICs for consumer and commercial electronics, as well as self-driving vehicles, the test socket has been introduced to meet the demand for high reliability testing and reduced test times in faster and more complex ICs, said Bruce Valentine, vice president and general manager of the semiconductor test business unit at Smiths Interconnect. “Joule . . . provides increased throughput as well as faster, reliable, and repeatable testing of peripheral packages (QFN, QFP, and SOIC),” he added.
Smiths Interconnect provides electronic components, subsystems, microwave and radio frequency products that connect, protect and control critical applications in the commercial aviation, defence, space, medical, rail, semiconductor test, and industrial market segments.
Smiths Interconnect is part of Smiths Group, a global technology group delivering products and services for the medical, security and defence, general industrial, energy and space and commercial aerospace market segments worldwide.
