Image processing and automated testing in flexible manufacturing systems

The authors have been involved in the implementation of a total quality control project in a communications equipment company, whose products are mounted and tested in a manufacturing plant controlled by an IBM Token Ring LAN. The most significant products are RF and microwave amplifier boards for satellite TV receivers, with electronic components based on SMT technology. The first implementation of total quality control project was an ATE (automated test equipment) LAN node that runs a program of verification for single-channel and multichannel electronic amplifiers, of which the bandwidth is in the TV spectrum (50/850 MHz). This ATE LAN node is supported in its performance for a RF analyzer connected to it through an IEEE 488 bus. The last implementation is an automated inspection LAN node to detect the absence of SMT and non SMT components mounted in the electronic cards of above mentioned amplifiers. This LAN node for automated inspection is based on artificial vision and is called MVI (machine-vision inspection).