Touchdown
A touchdown refers to a single contact operation in which the contact tip of a Contact Probe makes contact with a Test Point, solder pad, or contact site. Each touchdown thus corresponds to a mechanical and electrical contact cycle during a test process.
In printed circuit board testing, the number of touchdowns is an important measure of the stress on and Lifetime of Contact Probes. With each contact event, mechanical forces act on the contact tip, spring, and spring plating, which can lead to wear, contamination, or changes in contact quality.
The touchdown count helps evaluate Contact Probes in terms of service life, maintenance requirements, and process stability. Reliable contact over many touchdowns is crucial, especially under demanding contact conditions such as contaminated solder pads, flux residues, or oxide layers.
FAQ
A touchdown is a single contact event in which the tip of a Contact Probe makes contact with a test or solder point.
The touchdown count indicates how many times a Contact Probe has been activated and is an important indicator of service life, wear, and maintenance requirements.
With every touchdown, forces act on the contact tip, spring, plunger, coating, and the respective contact point.
Further terms
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