Evaluation of interconnects with TDR

Summary form only given. In this paper, a novel technique is presented for the verification of board level connections on PCBs. The time domain reflectometry (TDR) method is used to identify whether a pin connection is faulty or not. The test pulse-and evaluation circuitry is part of the chip. Although the chip size increases slightly, the method is highly efficient. No Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) is necessary to carry out the test and since only the physical behaviour of the connection from the internal driver via pin to board is examined, no test vectors are needed. The test time and the test preparation time are lower compared with conventional test methods.