ELECTRONIC UNIT AND METHOD FOR TESTING AT LEAST ONE STATE OF AN ELECTRONIC UNIT

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electronic unit including at least one component and a printed circuit board, wherein the at least one component has at least one terminal, wherein the printed circuit board has at least one first contact surface and at least one second contact surface, wherein the at least one first contact surface and the at least one second contact surface are spaced apart from one another, wherein the at least one terminal is joined to the at least two contact surfaces by at least one solder joint. The present disclosure further relates to a method for testing at least one state of an electronic unit.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. An electronic unit comprising: at least one component, which includes at least one terminal; and a printed circuit board, which includes one first contact surface and a second contact surface, wherein the first contact surface and the second contact surface are spaced apart from one another, and wherein the at least one terminal is joined to both the first contact surface and the second contact surface by at least one solder joint.

10. The electronic unit of claim 9, wherein the first contact surface and the second contact surface are separated from one another by a solder stop.

11. The electronic unit of claim 9, wherein the at least one component is a voltage limiting element.

12. The electronic unit of claim 11, wherein the component is a Zener diode.

13. A method for testing at least one state of an electronic unit, the method comprising: providing an electronic unit comprising: at least one component, which includes at least one terminal; and a printed circuit board, which includes one first contact surface and a second contact surface, wherein the first contact surface and the second contact surface are spaced apart from one another, and wherein the at least one terminal is joined to both the first contact surface and the second contact surface by at least one solder joint; applying an electrical input signal to the first contact surface; determining an electrical output signal on the second contact surface; and determining the at least one state of the electronic unit based on the electrical input signal and the electrical output signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determined at least one state of the electronic unit is at least one of the presence of the at least one component, the electrical contactability of the component and a type of solder paste used in the at least one solder joint.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein a voltage or a resistance is determined as an electrical output signal.

16. The method of claims 13, wherein the method is performed during a functional test of the electronic unit.

Description

[0023] The present invention will be explained below with reference to the following figures

[0024] FIGS. 1-2. In the figures:

[0025] FIG. 1a: is a diagram of an electronic unit according to the invention.

[0026] FIG. 1b: is a diagram of an electronic unit according to the invention before the soldering process.

[0027] FIG. 2: shows an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0028] The electronic unit 1 according to the invention comprises at least one component 2 and a printed circuit board 3. For example, the electronic unit 1 according to the invention is used in the field devices mentioned at the outset, wherein there is no limitation to the aforementioned examples.

[0029] FIG. 1a shows a possible embodiment of the electronic unit 1 according to the invention in a cross-sectional view, in which the electronic unit 1 has a component 2 and a printed circuit board 3. However, a plurality of components 2 can also be arranged on the printed circuit board 3 and joined thereto. In the embodiment shown, the component 2 has a terminal 4 and the printed circuit board 3 has a first and second contact surface 5, 6 which are joined via a solder joint 7. Within the scope of the invention, the component 2 can also have a plurality of terminals 4. It is also possible to join a terminal 4 with more than two contact surfaces 5, 6. It is also possible for the terminal 4 to be joined to the two contact surfaces 5, 6 via two separate solder joints. However, the contact surfaces 5, 6 are always spaced apart from one another. By way of example, conductor tracks 10 are shown which end in the two contact surfaces 5, 6. The component 2 can, for example, be a voltage limiting element, such as a Zener diode.

[0030] FIG. 1b shows the electronic unit 1 according to the invention before the at least one component 2 is soldered to the printed circuit board 3. It should be noted here that the solder paste 9 is applied to the first and second contact surfaces 5, 6 or the at least one terminal 4 in such a way that an electrical connection between the first and second contact surfaces 5, 6 is created only when both the printed circuit board 3 and the at least one component 2 are present during the soldering process. In the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1b, the solder paste 9 is applied to the first and second contact surfaces 5, 6, respectively. However, the solder paste 9 can also be applied to the at least one terminal 4. By way of example, a solder stop 8 is applied between the contact surfaces 5, 6 in order to adjust the orientation of the component 2 relative to the printed circuit board 3.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention. The method can be used for an electronic unit 1, which comprises at least one component 2 and a printed circuit board 3, and which is shown in FIG. 1. The at least one component 2 has at least one terminal 4. The printed circuit board 3 has at least one first contact surface 5 and at least one second contact surface 6, which are spaced apart from one another. The at least one terminal 4 is joined to the at least two contact surfaces 5, 6 by means of at least one solder joint 7. In the first step A, an electrical input signal is applied to the at least first contact surface 5. In the second step B, an electrical output signal, for example a voltage or a resistance, is determined on the at least second contact surface 6. For example, the application of the first input signal and/or the determination of the electrical output signal can take place by means of two conductor tracks 10 which terminate at the contact surfaces. In the third step C, at least one state of the electronic unit 1, such as the presence of the component 2 and/or the electrical contactability of the component 2 and/or a solder paste of the solder joint 7, is determined on the basis of the electrical input signal and the electrical output signal. Optionally, the method can be used in production during a functional test.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0032] electronic unit [0033] component [0034] printed circuit board [0035] terminal [0036] first contact surface [0037] second contact surface [0038] solder joint [0039] solder stop [0040] solder paste [0041] conductor track