A method comprises obtaining a plurality of 2-dimensional gray scale images of a portion of a printed circuit board assembly. Each 2-dimensional gray scale image corresponds to one of a plurality of parallel planes intersecting the portion of the printed circuit board assembly at respective different locations. The method further comprises converting the plurality of 2-dimensional gray scale images into a color image. Each of the plurality of 2-dimensional gray scale images corresponds to and is used as input for a respective color channel of the color image. The method further comprises analyzing the color image to detect variation in color that indicates a defect; and outputting an alert indicating the defect in response to detecting the variation in color.

One variation of an optical inspection kit includes: an enclosure defining an imaging volume; an optical sensor adjacent the imaging volume and defining a field of view directed toward the imaging volume; a nest module defining a receptacle configured to locate a surface of interest on a first unit of a first part within the imaging volume at an image plane of the optical sensor; a dark-field lighting module adjacent and perpendicular to the nest module and including a dark-field light source configured to output light across a light plane and a directional light filter configured to pass light output by the dark-field light source normal to the light plane and to reject light output by the dark-field light source substantially nonparallel to the light plane; and a bright-field light source proximal the optical sensor and configured to output light toward the surface of interest.

An inspection device is such that the inspection device executes a mounting inspection of a component using an inspection image of a board on which the component is mounted and includes an imaging device and an image processing device. The imaging device obtains three monochromatic images of the board in R, G, B. The image processing device sets a board color using brightness values of the three monochromatic images obtained by the imaging device, calculates complementary colors of the board color so set, determines on a color component having a largest brightness value in individual color components of the complementary colors so calculated, and sets the monochromatic image having the color component so determined in the obtained three monochromatic images as the inspection image.

In some examples, a system receives a first image of a circuit board produced by a first production stage, and compares the first image to a second image of the circuit board acquired at a second production stage for the circuit board. The system indicates an anomaly with the circuit board based on the comparing.

Circuit board inspection by receiving a near infrared (NIR) image of at least a portion of a circuit board, analyzing the NIR image using a machine learning model, and detecting anomalous circuit board portions according to the analysis.

In one embodiment, a method includes inspecting a fiber weave for use in a printed circuit board with an automated optical inspection tool and identifying a distance between fiber bundles in the fiber weave. The fiber weave comprises a plurality of the fiber bundles woven to form the fiber weave and a portion of the fiber bundles comprise markers and identifying a distance between the fiber bundles in the fiber weave comprises measuring a distance between the markers.

In one embodiment, a method includes inspecting a fiber weave for use in a printed circuit board with an automated optical inspection tool and identifying a distance between fiber bundles in the fiber weave. The fiber weave comprises a plurality of the fiber bundles woven to form the fiber weave and a portion of the fiber bundles comprise markers and identifying a distance between the fiber bundles in the fiber weave comprises measuring a distance between the markers.

An inspection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to inspect an inspection object seated on a jig, the jig capable of being introduced into and withdrawn from the inspection apparatus. The inspection apparatus includes: a mover configured to move the jig; and a clamping driver configured to contact and press the jig, the clamping driver including a pressing portion configured to be movable in a clamping direction and an unclamping direction opposite to the clamping direction.

A transfer apparatus for an inspection apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an upper end engaging portion configured to make contact with an upper surface of a transferred article; a support frame to which the upper end engaging portion is fixed; a lift including a support part configured to support a lower surface of the transferred article, the lift arranged on the support frame to be movable in an up-down direction; and a lifting driver configured to provide a driving force to move the lift in the up-down direction.

In one embodiment, a method includes inspecting a layer of a printed circuit board through an inspection window comprising an opening formed in one or more other layers of the printed circuit board and identifying a location of a trace aligned with the inspection window, relative to a marker in a fiber bundle of a fiber weave to assess fiber weave skew.