Gardien Provides PCB and Flex Board Electrical Test Fixture Capabilities

https://cdn.pcbdirectory.com/news/Untitled_design_27__639153732454339640.webp712370

Gardien, a provider of PCB testing and manufacturing services for PCB and flex board applications, provides PCB testing, fixture manufacturing, and electrical test solutions for PCB and flex board applications. Gardien provides electrical test fixtures for PCB and flex boards through a global fixture manufacturing operation that includes more than 36 drilling machines worldwide. The company manufactures several thousand fixtures per month and supports PCB testing applications for complex and high-density boards.

The company utilizes Ucamco software for fixture programming and production across different equipment types. Gardien stated that standard lead times for fixture programming, drilling, and fixture builds are typically two to three days, with expedited service available.

Gardien supports Single Density (SD), Double Density (DD), Quadruple Density (QD), and Octo Density (OD) arrays in fixtures up to 650mm x 650mm (25.6" x 25.6"). The company stated that its technology supports the placement of up to 60,000 pins with pin diameters down to 150um for high-density boards.

The fixtures are designed to deliver uniform pin pressure to reduce test point marking. Gardien also stated that fixture materials are selected to maintain dimensional stability through temperature and humidity control.

Gardien’s fixture services include programming, fixture drilling, fixture rental, and fixture ownership programs. The company generates fixture drilling programs and Netlists from CAM data for customers building their own test fixtures. Gardien also drills fixture plates for PCB production and provides rental programs in which reusable fixture parts are returned after use.

The company provides universal fixtures, dedicated fixtures, hybrid fixtures, and functional fixtures:

Gardien stated that its universal fixtures support sizes up to 25.6" x 25.6" (650.24mm x 650.24mm) and support densities ranging from Single-Density through Octo-Density using small pin diameters. The company also designs split fixtures for higher-density products on older equipment and hybrid solutions combining Grid Tester and Flying Probe technologies.

Dedicated fixtures are available for dedicated machines with open interfaces, including 32-pin and 64-pin connectors or grid interfaces with SD, DD, or QD set-ups. Gardien stated that these fixtures can support pin diameters down to 40 micron when designed as hybrid fixtures.

The company stated that dedicated fixtures are intended for low-mix, high-volume production environments. The fixtures use horizontal plastic plates drilled with holes positioned relative to each other, allowing test pins to contact the PCB or Unit Under Test (UUT) and connect directly to test electronics for open and short testing.

Gardien also provides hybrid fixtures combining wired pin technology with Universal Grid systems. Horizontal hybrid fixtures are designed for products larger than the physical test area by extending the test field through wired pins translated to available grid electronics. Vertical hybrid fixtures combine a wired bottom fixture with a leaning pin top section for higher-density products.

Functional fixtures are available for CheckSum, mechanical test fixtures, and custom test fixtures. Gardien accepts CAD data types, including Gerber and NetList, combined with x, y files.

Fixture kits include Everett Charles, H+W Test Products, mechanical non-vacuum systems, and CheckSum platforms. The company stated that the maximum board size supported is 14x14" with a minimum target size of 0.02 and a maximum pin count of 1,000.

Wiring options include standard wiring, twisted pair wiring, and short wire configurations with manual wire validation.

Click here to learn more about these services.