The SmartZap is a fully automated ESD gun tester with automatic failure detection capability, providing far superior performance than manual zap gun test. It is complying IEC61000-4-2 test standard.

Main Features

- 
Support of any ESD gun model

- Five sides zap (top and four sides)

- Automated failure detection

- Pick and placing

- Automatic gun tip change (contact ßà air)

- Connector plug/unplug

- DUT flipping

- Customizable report generation

- Test point definition by graphic interface

- Automatic DUT offset correction

- 
Key press and touch screen fingers

- Discharge brush

- IEC 61000 – 4 – 2 compliant zap table

- Pin test

- Script based test flow

Zap point definition

- Zap point are defined either by (1) teaching, (2) integrated five cameras or (3) API developed "magic wand".

Failure detection

- FD module includes monitoring of four analog and four digital signals, input from photo sensors and 1KHz sound, communication with a call box, a relay and a 120V/5Amp power supply for DUT power cycle.

- Boolean operation of monitoring signals to sort out failure type

- Macro function for step by step control of failure detection and power cycle procedures.

Automated features

– All automated functions done by pneumatic without additional electrically powered accessories.

- DUT pick-and-placing

- Gun tip change

- Connector plug/unplug

- DUT flipping

- DUT offset correction: automatic adjustment of defined test points when the DUT is placed slight off from the original position.

Report generation

- User can customize report templates

SmartZap Specifications

Robot

SmartZap - Options

PM Pneumatic circuit module

· Provides positive or negative pressure (vacuum) logic

· In order to minimize electronics around SmartZap, logic control is performed by a pneumatic circuit

· Options V1 ~ V4 require this pneumatic circuit module

V1 Tip change (1, 2) · Pneumatic circuit assisted automated contact/air tip change and tip

change station

· May not be available for all gun models. Contact API

V2 Pick & placing (2) ·  Applicable to flat DUT's, such as, cell phones or tablet PC's

V3 DUT flipping (2) ·  Applicable to flat DUT's, such as, cell phones or tablet PC's

WM Discharge

waveform measurement (3)

· Gun discharge waveforms of every discharge can be captured by a current probe and an oscilloscope and saved in a text file format

· A current probe, mounting bracket and a driver for one oscilloscope model is included in this option

QD Quick disconnect · Special designed gun mounting bracket to attach and detach the

gun quick and easy

· Provides the user options to choose automatic or manual test with only one gun

FD Automatic failure detection module

· Still image comparison

· 1kHz sound interruption detection

· API FD Module based automatic failure detection (monitoring of digital, analog signals, photo-sensor output)

· Customization possible at additional cost (integration of a call box or DUT controller)

Notes:

(1) Waveforms from modified gun tip can be provided

(2) Options V1, V2, V3 or V4 requires Option "VLM", the pneumatic circuit module

(3) The ionizer, field meter or oscilloscope is provided by customers

Robot options

· Any arm size of robot can be integrated.

· Standard arm length is 645 mm. Additional charge may apply for longer arm length robot integration (mainly robot cost difference).

· Most common different arm lengths are 545 mm and 900 mm. Simulation results of robot coverage in 3D can be provided to assist arm length selection

System level ESD test

The methodology for system level ESD testing is standardized in the IEC 61000-4-2 standard. This standard sets minimal requirements and gives information on the test setup. The standard setting body had hand testing in mind, but did not exclude robotic testing. As hand testing was in mind many minimal parameters have been set such that repeatability problems result.

Three main parameters are:

· Number of discharges

The number of discharges per test point is set to 10. This is a very low number to capture windows of sensitivity. There are brief periods of time in which an EUT is much more sensitive to ESD. Those windows are usually caused by software activity. The influenced windows of opportunity and the required number of pulses to achieve a statistically stable result has been investigated by Bob Renninger and Habiger and found its way into an ANSI ESD C63.16 standard (draft). In brief the analysis says: one has to apply a much greater number of pulses to capture windows of opportunity. The exact number depends on the distribution of the sensitivity over time. The standard setting bodies, knowingly had to ignore these facts, as the members did not want to force every test lab to perform e.g., 100 discharges at each test point due to strain placed on the operator, especially in air discharge mode. However, for achieving a statistically stable result from a larger number of discharges is needed.

· Approach speed, angle of approach

Air discharge testing depends strongly on the length of the arc. The length of the arc can vary, for the same test point and voltage strongly. Those variations are partially from statistical nature, but also influenced by the way the approach is performed. At higher approach speeds (this is the intention of the standard setting body) the rise time will be on average lower and the peak values will be on average higher. The standard provides little insight into the expected speed of approach. Some test labs even drag the charged air discharge tip across the product (being in contact with the plastic surface) to see if a discharge occurs. This is a very risky practice, as this can lead to highly over-voltage ESDs having unrealistically low rise times. It is important to control the way of approach (straight to the point of expected discharge) and to control the angle the ESD generator is held, as this will influence the discharge current (weakly) but the coupling to the product strongly.

If discharges that have much faster rise occur, there is no way for the operator to know in manual system level testing.

· Voltage increments

The voltage is often set in large increments, like 2, 4, 8 kV and only pass or fail is reported. From a point of view of comparing test labs, it is important to know the failure level. For example, if one lab passes up to and including 8kV but the product would fail at 8.001 kV and if then is re-tested in another lab and fails at 8kV, then the uncertainty of the testing might only be 0.001 kV. Of course, the real uncertainties in ESD testing are much higher, but the example illustrates that we not only need a pass/fail but we need a failure level. This can only be found if voltages are increased in relatively small increments, maybe 1000V. The standard setting body did not want to require this as the

strain placed on hand operators was considered to be too high.