Everett Charles Technologies is the first to offer a probe that virtually eliminates probe-related false opens during loaded board test the new PogoPlus® Series:

• POGO® 1
• POGO® 25
• POGO® 72

The PogoPlus® is a reengineered version of the legendary Pogo® bias ball probe. The new probes unique internal design makes it the only probe capable of maintaining constant contact between the plunger and sidewall throughout its mechanical travel, resulting in more consistent resistivity measurement and prevention of probe-generated false opens.

Dramatically improved test productivity You test a board, and it fails. You test it again, and it passes. What gives? Transient electrical opens in the test system which cause perfectly good boards to be rejected are a big problem. False opens can easily cost the average PCB manufacturer tens of thousands of dollars every month in unnecessary retesting costs. By replacing conventional probes with PogoPlus®, you can achieve substantial improvements in test throughput and productivity literally overnight.

Unique Constant Contact Design
The resistivity of ordinary probes can vary dramatically as the plunger is compressed and decompressed. Laboratory tests confirm that it's not uncommon for a conventional probe's resistivity to vary more than 500% over its travel. Also, due to variations in test lead length, pad shapes, PCB flex, and other factors, most probes over- or under-travel the 2/3 design goal. The constant contact of the PogoPlus® over the probe's entire travel range virtually eliminates the potential for probe-induced false rejects.

The new PogoPlus® probe features a simple and effective internal design that solves this common problem. Inside the PogoPlus®, the bias-cut plunger end forces the captured ball and plunger into constant contact with the barrel wall, preventing a potential false open condition. What's more, this consistent sidewall contact plus ECTs precious metal plating process provides low resistance and highly repeatable conductivity for long-term, consistent resistance measurements. As a result, test resistance parameters can be significantly narrowed for improved test control.

Tighter Pointing Tolerances
The PogoPlus® features a double-roll close that offers unrivaled pointing accuracy. Conventional probes use a single-roll close, which also relies on the plungers contact with the barrel to constrain vertical motion. Unfortunately, this method provides only nominal control of axial runout. The PogoPlus® double-close design constrains the plunger to a tighter axis of motion for better repeatability that helps you reliably hit the smallest targets.

Enhanced Durability
With today's demanding test runs and no-clean processes, probe durability is more important than ever before. That's why the PogoPlus® was designed from the start to offer a superior level of longevity.

Because the probes double-roll close constrains the plungers vertical motion (see tighter pointing above), the probes plunger doesnt need to be as long. Which means that the PogoPlus® offers a larger spring volume than conventional probes for longer spring life and higher spring forces.

Probe durability is also enhanced with available steel tips which feature ECT MicroSharp" technology for long-lasting sharpness that penetrates through surface contamination.

More performance + same price = better value

Even with all these important improvements, it may surprise you that the PogoPlus® costs about the same as other high performance probes.

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Comparative Analysis

Objective
Measure the resistance of the PogoPlus® and a standard high performance probe as they are compressed and decompressed. For reliable results, a probe should have a resistance of less than 10 milliohms (with a standard deviation of <5 milliohms) throughout the compression/decompression cycle.

Method
Each probe is placed in a calibrated test station that dynamically measures resistance relative to probe displacement. Displacement resolution is 0.0001 inch. For each increment in displacement, resistance is simultaneously measured with a resolution of 1 milliohm.

Displacement vs. Resistance

As the displacement vs. resistance graph clearly shows, the bias design of the PogoPlus® outperforms the competitors probe by demonstrating more repeatable resistivity across its travel range. Because false opens occur when large changes in resistivity occur over short displacements, a steeper slope in the displacement/resistivity curve indicates a greater likelihood of a false reject.

For a more detailed discussion of the test method and results, please ask your ECT salesperson for a copy of the complete test report.