Production Test Jig
A production test jig is a special apparatus prepared so that every board produced is tested quickly and in the same way. It holds the board mechanically, contacts the test points with spring-loaded probes, applies supply and load, and gives the result as pass/fail without leaving it to the operator's interpretation.
The purpose of the jig is as much to make the test independent of the person as it is to shorten the test time. In a manual measurement, which point is checked and how many times varies with the operator; on a jig, every board goes through the same sequence.
- Mechanical part: the pins that position the board and the lever that presses the probes down. The positioning is made asymmetric so that a board fitted the wrong way round does not make contact.
- Electrical part: adjustable supply, current measurement, loads connected to the outputs and the communication interface.
- Software part: the program that applies the test steps in order and records the results together with the serial number.
The jig itself also needs maintenance: probe tips wear, contact resistance rises, and beyond a certain point good boards start to look faulty. That is why it is common practice to verify the jig at regular intervals with known-good and known-faulty reference boards.
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