Measuring the Positions of the Solder Pins of Electrical Connectors from the Side

Abstract

In the electronics industry, it is common to measure the positions of the solder pins of electrical connectors from the bottom using the automated optical inspection (AOI) technique. However, the pins’ surfaces facing the camera of the AOI system may generate image noises, leading to inaccurate measurement results. The objective of the paper is to develop a machine vision system with an algorithm to measure the pin position from the side. Two images must be captured in different view directions so that the algorithm can use the information on the images to calculate the positions of the pins. Comparing the results obtained using the proposed method and those obtained using a 2D vision measuring machine to measure the positions from the bottom, we found that the maximum difference in the results was 0.03 mm. The technique presented in the paper can provide an alternative solution for measuring the positions of the solder pins of electrical connectors or similar components if measurement from the bottom is not feasible.