Printed circuit board visual inspection performance: a comparative analysis of mono- and stereovision macroscopic views

The objective of this study was to compare visual inspection performance of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and flexible circuit boards (flex) when using monovision and autostereovision modes of the Dimension Technologies' Virtual WindowTM. We measured completion times for visual inspections of PCBs and flex cards, and detection of manufacturing or post manufacturing defects in each of the products. In the case of printed circuit boards, the stereovision display mode produce faster inspection (approximately 17% improvement in inspection rate) when compared against the monovision mode. No change in inspection performance was observed with flex cards, or in the number of flaws detected, with the introduction of autostereovision. Recommendations are made for improving the effectiveness of the Virtual Window for visual inspection of printed circuit boards and like phenomena.