Construction and use of dielectric plate for mating test equipment to a load board of a circuit tester

Abstract

An article of manufacture may include a dielectric having a top surface and a bottom surface. The top surface provides a planar surface corresponding to a mating surface of test equipment. The bottom surface has a relief pattern that is formed to straddle components extending above a surface of a load board for a circuit tester. Also disclosed are methods that use this and other dielectric plates to mate test equipment to a load board of a circuit tester.

1 . An article of manufacture, comprising: 
 a dielectric having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface providing a planar surface corresponding to a mating surface of test equipment, and the bottom surface having a relief pattern, the relief pattern being formed to straddle components extending above a surface of a load board for a circuit tester.    
   
   
       2 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein depths of the relief pattern vary to substantially correspond to said components that extend above a surface of a load board for a circuit tester.  
   
   
       3 . The article of manufacture of  claim 2 , wherein the dielectric plate comprises a crystalline thermoplastic polymer.  
   
   
       4 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric plate comprises a crystalline thermoplastic polymer.  
   
   
       5 . The article of manufacture of  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric plate comprises a Delrin® acetal plastic.  
   
   
       6 . A method, comprising: 
 mating a dielectric plate to an exterior surface of a circuit tester load board, the dielectric plate having i) a cutout corresponding to a DUT contactor of the load board, and ii) an underside relief pattern to straddle components of the load board that extend above an exterior surface of the load board; and    docking a test equipment interface to a surface of the dielectric plate opposite the load board.