ENVIRONMENTAL SENSOR

摘要

A device for monitoring a working environment in which electronic circuit boards are present includes: a) test circuit boards with pairs of traces and circuitry for determining the electrical resistance between the traces, the test boards being positioned in a pathway effective for directing air across the test traces; b) control elements for controlling the flow of air through the pathway and for controlling power applied to the test board traces; c) data storage for storing data relating to acceptable electrical resistance between test traces; d) circuitry for comparing measured electrical resistance between two test traces to a stored value for the acceptable electrical resistance between two test traces; and e) an output for communicating the results of the comparison between the measured electrical resistance between two test traces and the stored value for the acceptable electrical resistance between two test traces.

主权项

1. A method for evaluating the effects of environmental air on a processed circuit board, the method comprising:
a) providing a test probe comprising a circuit board processed by a method to be evaluated, wherein the test probe comprises a pair of traces and circuitry effective for determining the electrical resistance between said traces, wherein the traces are separated by a test distance; b) measuring the electrical resistance between the two traces of said test probe at a first test probe measurement time; c) communicating information relating to the measured electrical resistance between the two traces of said test probe as measured at said first time to a device that stores data, or analyzes data, or stores and analyzes data; d) confirming that the measured electrical resistance between the two traces of said test probe as measured at said first time is at an acceptable level as defined by a pre-determined acceptance standard; e) exposing the test probe to environmental air to be tested; f) making one or more subsequent measurements of the electrical resistance between the two traces of said test probe after exposure of the test probe to environmental air; g) communicating information relating to the one or more subsequent measurements to a device that stores data, or analyzes data, or stores and analyzes data; and h) determining when the measured electrical resistance between the two traces of said test probe changes to an unacceptable level as defined by a pre-determined acceptance standard.