Automated Measurement of Passive Devices in Printed Circuit Assemblies

Passive components, such as resistors, capacitors and inductors, present a unique complication when reverse engineering is attempted.  Automated measurements of device values on populated printed circuit boards  - resistance, capacitance and inductance - is complicated by the network effect of neighboring components connected to the component being measured.  Some solutions are applicable to some components, but depending on physical size, physical configuration, availability of markings or actual values measured, some solutions will not work for all components.  We are proposing an automated and consistent solution that provides for the most accurate measurement mechanism for all passive components, so that an accurate bill of material (BOM) can be generated.  Our approach also improves the reliability of the netlist generation process.