Circuit Board Fault Detector

Introduction to the BM8500 Circuit Board Fault Tester:

    The BM8500 from UK-based ABI is a unique, multifunctional, and easy-to-use circuit board fault tester. It offers comprehensive circuit board testing capabilities, covering almost any type of circuit board.

    Whether for design verification, production testing, semiconductor device testing, manufacturing, or general maintenance—and regardless of whether your board is analog, digital, or mixed-signal—

It provides the perfect solution for all your testing needs...

    In today’s rapidly evolving electronics industry, the market demands innovation and adaptability. Whether in design, production, testing, or troubleshooting, electronic engineers face numerous challenges. Electronic circuits are becoming faster, smaller, cheaper, and more complex. The cost-effectiveness of testing and repair has also become increasingly important. Can your testing equipment meet your needs to cope with this explosive wave of technological change? If you're considering this question, you're already on the path to finding a solution.

    Despite the rapid advancement of electronic technology, the fundamental nature of faults remains the same: faulty integrated circuits (ICs) malfunction, faulty diodes exhibit open or short circuits, and faulty capacitors show short-circuit behavior. The types of faults that occur on circuit boards today are the same as they were ten years ago. However, today we must locate these faults quickly. The focus of "cost-effective repair" is not just whether a board can be repaired, but how much time and labor is required to repair it.

    From an economic perspective, repair costs must also include the cost of testing equipment. The BM8500 circuit board fault tester is highly cost-effective across a wide range of applications. It includes a complete high-spec instrument control software that is easy for engineers to operate. The hardware is housed in a standard 19-inch rack-mounted chassis that includes a PC. The BM8500 is a modular system, allowing for customized configurations for specific applications.

I. System Composition of the BM8500 Circuit Board Fault Tester

1. System Hardware Test Platform: (Test modules can be expanded as needed to achieve the required test channels)

1) Multi-power digital IC test unit (digital circuit test unit): Expandable up to 2048 test channels;

2) Analog IC test unit (analog device test unit);

3) Multifunction instrument unit (8-in-1 instrument unit);

4) 3D V-I-F dynamic impedance test unit (dynamic impedance test unit): Expandable up to 2048 test channels;

5) Programmable power supply unit: Power channels can be expanded as needed;

6) Hardware test framework;

2. Editable Software Test Platform:

1) Code-free programming: Test process management, forming process-oriented, standardized, and informational test programs;

2) Code programming: Automated and semi-automated full-board testing, enabling batch testing, production inspection, and consistency analysis of circuit boards.

3. Test Fixtures:

1) Test fixtures: Fixtures required for daily manual testing;

2) Jigs: Specialized test tooling for full-board testing (customized: including bed-of-nails, interface boards, etc.)

(I) Functions of the BM8500 Hardware Test Platform:

1. Multi-power digital IC test unit (digital circuit test unit): Expandable up to 2048 test channels; unit consists of 1× ABI-6500 module

1) 64×1 channels (expandable to 2048 channels)

2) Digital device functional testing, pin voltage, pin connection status, temperature knee coefficient, digital V-I testing

3) Advanced logic sequencer

4) Advanced circuit board fault location function

5) Short-circuit tracing (continuity measurement)

6) Identification of unknown device types

2. Analog IC test unit (analog device test unit): unit consists of 1× ABI-2500 module

1) Analog device V-I curve testing, matrix testing;

2) 24 test channels, 2 probe test channels, 2 synchronous pulse output channels, 3 discrete device test channels;

3) V-I, V-T, I-T curve testing for various devices;

4) Analog IC and discrete device testing functions.

3. 3D V-I-F dynamic impedance test unit (dynamic impedance test unit): Expandable up to 2048 test channels; unit consists of 1× ABI-3400 module

1) Specifications: 64 test channels + 4 probe test channels + 4 sets of synchronous pulses, switchable to 32+32 channel test mode;

2) Provides: V-I-F, V-T-F, V-I, V-T curve testing;

3) Matrix testing: V-I (impedance) curve testing between all pins

4) Displays electrical parameter values (V/I) for each point on the curve in 2D graphics: specific voltage and current values;

5) Expandable in steps of 64 channels up to 2048 test channels.

4. Multifunction instrument unit (8-in-1 instrument unit): unit consists of 1× ABI-6350 module

Specifications: Integrates 8 common test instruments into one unit;

1) 3-channel digital oscilloscope;

2) 2-channel arbitrary waveform generator;

3) 2-channel digital voltmeter;

4) 1-channel digital ammeter;

5) 1-channel digital ohmmeter;

6) 1-channel frequency counter;

7) 8-channel general-purpose I/O interface;

8) 4 fixed-output power supplies.

5. Programmable power supply unit; unit consists of 1× ABI-1200 module

Specifications: Three adjustable outputs, series/parallel capable;

Channels fully isolated;

Each channel provides 0～±40VDC, 8Amax, 40Wmax

Overvoltage and overcurrent protection

Remote voltage monitoring and compensation function

6. Hardware test framework

UK-manufactured 19-inch rack-mounted chassis with computer (can accommodate six modules)

(II) Functions of the Programmable Software Test Platform 

1. Chinese and English software, capable of operating and controlling all modules via programming software 

2. Test process memory function (software features powerful test process editing and recording capabilities)

3. Test process design runs through the entire testing procedure, forming standardized test processes (repair process, production process, test process). All steps and data of the process test can be saved according to testing requirements, forming a standardized test process. This ensures consistency in testing procedures, eliminating human interference, and making testing simple, easy, standardized, and process-oriented.

4. Comprehensive recording of various test information. The software can store pin voltages, connection relationships, functional test results, and V-I and V-T curves from standard circuit boards into the test process, facilitating comparison with other boards and greatly simplifying repetitive comparison tasks.

5. The software allows users to add text descriptions, photos, Office Word, Office Excel, PDF documents, web links, etc., to test steps, significantly improving testing efficiency.

6. Graphical test library editor, graphically defining input stimulus signals and standard response signals for test recording output, quickly building component and circuit board test libraries. Expanding component and full-board test libraries is simple and fast. Non-professionals can quickly expand the test library.

7.* Test data recording and generation of custom inspection reports. System test data can be customized to generate custom test reports. Reports can include test data and results of interest to the user. Generating user-specific test reports facilitates the preservation of test data.

8.* Chinese and English test operation software, with complete Chinese localization down to all menu levels (fully localized version), providing free lifetime software upgrade services;

9. Intelligent programming: Through the TFL editor, each test step can be programmed. The TFL editor includes 21 programming commands such as WHILE, IF, STARTLOGDB, WRITELOGDB, SYSTEM, etc.

(III) Functions of Test Fixtures

Test fixture accessories, including: 1 set of various device test fixtures such as DIL (for daily manual testing);

Jigs require custom service: Specialized test tooling for full-board testing (including bed-of-nails, interface boards, etc.);

Optional accessories: SOIC test fixtures, offline test box, discrete device test probe set, etc.

II. System Features of the BM-8500 Circuit Board Fault Tester

1.* Modular hardware system design, allowing expansion of test modules and test channels as required.

2. Process-oriented software system test process design, enabling process-oriented testing without programming: saving all steps and data of the process test to form a standardized test process. Subsequent tests then

3. Follow the process steps to conduct tests, obtain corresponding results, and generate data comparison reports. Test process design runs through the entire testing procedure and is continuously improved. Testing experience and information are added to the test process in real time. Process-designed circuit boards enable rapid manual, semi-automated fault detection and board-level system testing, improving troubleshooting and testing efficiency.

4.* Test data recording and generation of custom inspection reports. System test data can be customized to generate custom test reports. Reports include test data and results of interest to the user. Generating user-specific test reports facilitates the preservation of test data.

5.* Multi-power digital circuit test module features 64-channel digital IC online/offline functional testing (expandable to 2048 channels). Each channel can be independently defined as: input/voltage measurement, output/signal drive, or V/I curve measurement. Supports custom testing, device and full-board custom simulation testing.

6.* Threshold level critical point scanning function, determining standard board level critical values, enabling stability checks for faulty board devices.

7. The system can perform port testing on various devices: V-I, V-T, V-I-F testing. 2D V-I testing as low as 1Hz, 3D testing up to 10kHz, ideal for testing inductors and high-frequency capacitors. Synchronous pulse signal amplitude and width can be set for thyristor or FET functional testing.

8. Variable-frequency 3D V-I-F measurement, displaying device port characteristic curves in 3D, enabling detection of frequency-related faults. Suitable for testing devices or boards with frequency characteristics, 3D graphical measurement is ideal for digital and analog ICs and circuit board testing.

9.* All system modules operate simultaneously under the same professional platform, completing process-oriented, step-by-step, standardized testing and generating custom test reports.

10.* Integrates 8 test instruments into one: 3-channel digital oscilloscope, 2-channel arbitrary waveform generator, 2-channel digital voltmeter, 1-channel digital ammeter, 1-channel digital ohmmeter, 1-channel frequency counter, 8-channel general-purpose I/O interface, 4 auxiliary power supplies. All 8 instruments can operate concurrently. All steps can be recorded, stored, and compared. All test data can be quantified and formed into test reports. Supports simulation testing, debugging, consistency testing, and other full-board tests.

11. Programmable power supply module features 3 isolated power output channels, controlled by system software. The three channels support series/parallel connections to increase voltage and current output ranges. The power supply module can automatically turn on/off test power according to process design. Used with other modules, it enables automated full-board and multi-power testing processes.

12. Test library includes tens of thousands of digital devices, covering commonly used components. The graphical device editor allows rapid expansion and customization of the device test library. Input stimulus signals and standard response signals for test output can be defined graphically, enabling quick batch creation of component and full-board test libraries.

13. The system includes an analog device test library, enabling functional testing of amplifiers, comparators, diodes, transistors, thyristors, FETs, optocouplers, AD/DA converters, and other analog ICs. Supports speed functional testing for optocouplers and relays.

14. The system can perform port testing on various devices: V-I, V-T, I-T testing. Testing frequency up to 12kHz, ideal for testing inductors and high-frequency capacitors. Synchronous pulse signal amplitude and width can be set for thyristor or FET functional testing.