Flying Probes

The Flying Probe test consists in examining every point of the board with a dedicated probe, allowing in this way to test any type of PCB, even in small scale operating exclusively on a software of the testing machine.

The In Circuit Test uses the so-called “bed of needles” mounted on a fixture. The production of the fixture and the related software for programming the test machine are expensive. They also are difficult to update if there are changes to be made to the board to be tested. If you have to test standard devices, or in large scale, the “bed of needles” is certainly the quickest and most convenient choice, when testing small series or prototypes you need to use an ICT system with the Flying Probes.

Moreover, thanks to the Flying Probe technology it is possible to reach precision in terms of dimensions up to 0.2 mm, and we at Tecon are able to build specific Probes for any machine.

Flying Probes technical data

Recommended minimum distance (grid-pitch)

Our technology allows us to produce Flying Probes with a 0.2 mm plunger, making it possible to work on very narrow pitches.

There is the possibility that the Flying Probes contact two adjacent points at the same time, but the challenge that Giacomo, the owner, accepted in 1986 is precisely to prevent that from happening, fully respecting tolerances and play.

Current rating

Depending on the size, the applicable current rating of our Flying Probes ranges from 3A to 5A.
The smaller the diameter of the head, the lower the rated current supported.

Typical contact resistance

The typical contact resistance of Flying Probes is 30 mΏ.

Materials and plating of Flying Probes

For the construction of the Flying Probes we use:

For the body/barre

Gold plated brass for low resistance conductivity.

For the spring

Music wire silver plated. load from 100 to 250 gr; The springs used for the construction of Flying Probes are of the highest quality and are treated specifically to allow a greater number of possible stops. For special orders, the spring load can be reduced to avoid marking the PCB.

For the plunger

Gold or nickel-plated tempered steel. We use high quality tempered steel and harden each plunger individually. The control of tempering temperatures provides our plungers with the right hardness and flexibility to achieve the highest standards of precision.