What Is FCT Test Meaning To PCB

RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY
What is FCT Test Meaning to PCB

FCT (Functional Circuit Test) is an important testing method used
during the manufacturing process of printed circuit boards (PCBs). It
involves testing the functionality of the circuits on the PCB to ensure
there are no defects before the board moves to the next stage of
production.
FCT testing provides key insights into the quality and reliability of
the PCB design and its ability to function as intended. For electronics
manufacturers, performing FCT testing properly is crucial for avoiding
costly errors and producing high-quality boards that work correctly
when assembled into finished products.
This article will provide a comprehensive overview of FCT testing for
PCBs. We’ll look at what FCT testing is, why it’s needed, how testing
fixtures are used, the types of defects it finds, and the implications of
FCT results for PCB manufacturers.
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What is FCT Testing?
FCT stands for functional circuit test. It is a method of testing
unpopulated or bare printed circuit boards to verify the electrical
connectivity and functionality of the circuits based on the intended
design.
The key goals of FCT testing include:
 Validate PCB fabrication: FCT testing checks for any
manufacturing defects, errors or flaws in the PCB fabrication
process that can lead to malfunctioning circuits. This verifies
the PCB vendor correctly fabricated the boards according to
specifications.

 Catch assembly errors early: By testing boards before they are
assembled and populated with components, FCT testing can
identify any issues in the bare boards that would be harder to
detect after assembly. Catching errors early prevents wasting
time and money on assembling defective boards.
 Ensure design integrity: FCT confirms that the circuits and
connections implemented on the fabricated board match the
intended PCB design files and schematics.
 Check for shorts and opens: The testing detects any unintended
electrical connections (shorts) or breaks in continuity (opens) in
the circuits on the bare boards that could lead to field failures
upon assembly.
 Evaluate manufacturability: FCT results provide feedback on the
manufacturability of the PCB design and highlight any areas that
may need to be improved or corrected in the design.
In summary, FCT provides a vital quality control gate between PCB
fabrication and assembly to verify the fabricated boards meet
functionality and reliability requirements for further production.
FCT Testing Fixtures

To perform FCT on printed circuit boards, specialized testing
fixtures are used to interface the bare PCBs with test systems that
apply signals and measure the board’s electrical responses. FCT
fixtures provide both mechanical handling of the boards and
electrical connectivity to test points on the board circuits.


There are two primary categories of fixtures used for FCT testing:
Bed-of-Nails Fixture
This type of fixture uses an array of spring-loaded “nails” or pins
to contact test pads on the PCBs. It provides access to test points
across the entire board area. The bed-of-nails approach can
test digital circuits and simple analog circuits.
Flying Probe Fixture
Flying probe fixtures use movable test probes on precision robots
to target specific test points on the PCB. This provides more
versatility to reach points on complex board geometries. Flying
probe can test digital and more complex analog circuits.
Hybrid fixtures combining both bed-of-nails and flying probes are
also available. The type of FCT fixture selected depends on the
PCB design, complexity, test access needs, and other
considerations.
FCT testing checks for a variety of circuit defects and faults that
can occur in the PCB fabrication process. By applying test signals
and measuring the output responses, issues like the following can
be detected:

Open circuits – A break in the conductive path between points
that should be connected according to the design schematics.
Opens may be caused by gaps or thinning of copper traces,
incomplete holes, or other fabrication flaws.
Short circuits – An unintended conductive bridge between two
points not meant to be connected per the design schematics.
Causes include copper smearing, unwanted solder, or drill errors
like plating through a hole wall.
Value faults – When impedances like capacitances or resistances
are out of tolerance from their designed value due to variations or
flaws in fabricated components on the PCB.
Leakage – Unwanted current flows between circuits that should
be isolated, indicating insulation resistance issues. Often caused
by contaminants like moisture or residues on the PCB surface.
Intermittent faults – Defects that appear intermittently during
testing, indicating marginal or unstable connections likely to cause
reliability issues over time.
Circuit logic faults – Circuits failing functional tests due to
problems with fabricated connections or components that
prevent correct logic function per the design.

Crosstalk – Unexpected signal coupling between neighboring
traces, vias, or components due to fabrication variations. Can
cause interference and noise.
Impedance faults – Incorrect characteristic impedance of
transmission lines like microstrips that can impair signal
integrity at high frequencies.
In addition to identifying the type of defect, FCT testing also
locates the physical position of faults on the PCBs for diagnosis
and correction. Catching these issues early prevents improper
board performance or failures once assembled and deployed.
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When FCT testing reveals defects in a manufactured PCB, further
analysis is required to determine the root cause so the underlying
process errors can be corrected. Typical steps in FCT failure
diagnosis include:
 Repeat testing – Re-test the fault location to verify the failure
is consistent and not an anomaly. Intermittent issues may
require multiple repeated tests to isolate.
 Correlate to design data – Compare the failure location and
type to the PCB layout, schematics, bill of materials and
other design files. Review the nominal circuit characteristics
expected at the test nodes.
 Visually inspect the PCB – Use optical inspection and tools
like high-power microscopes to look for visible defects or
damage at the failure location that may explain the issue.
 Take electrical measurements – Use multimeters,
time-domain reflectometers, or other tools to take further
electrical readings like continuity, resistance, capacitance,
and impedance around the fault.
 Review process records – Examine PCB fabrication, handling,
and test records for any anomalies that could be related to

the failure like unusual measurements, tolerances exceeded,
or equipment issues.
 Reproduce with design experiments – Make deliberate
modifications to the design data like adding shorts or opens
and re-fabricate test boards to attempt reproducing and
better characterize the failure mode observed.
 Perform materials analysis – In some cases, use analytical
techniques like scanning electron microscopy to inspect PCB
materials like laminates or drill holes for flaws indicating
process errors.
By correlating multiple data points from testing, inspection,
design records, and materials analysis, the factors responsible for
FCT failures can usually be effectively identified so that PCB
fabrication processes can be adjusted to prevent similar defects
going forward.
The outcomes and data gathered from FCT testing have important
implications for PCB manufacturers in terms of quality control,
process adjustments, and communication with customers:

 Pass/Fail criteria – PCBs must meet predefined limits for
acceptable defect rates in order to pass FCT. Failed boards
are rejected or subject to rework if possible.
 Process adjustments – Failures pointing to systematic
fabrication process errors require correcting the processes
to address root causes. Common process tweaks may
involve lamination, drill, plating, etching, or handling steps.
 Verification of fixes – Once a process is corrected, further
FCT testing on new boards verifies the failures are
eliminated before full production proceeds.
 Design rule updates – If FCT reveals
design-for-manufacturing issues, it provides feedback to
update design rules and recommendations to improve
manufacturability.
 Reporting – FCT results and data metrics are compiled into
reports that allow monitoring fab process capabilities over
time as a key performance indicator (KPI).
 Documentation – Detailed FCT failure documentation
provides records that can be referenced during quality

discussions with customers. Thorough reporting
demonstrates quality vigilance.
 Continuous improvement – By providing closed-loop
feedback on defects and corrections, FCT testing enables
continuous refinement of PCB fabrication processes and
design rules toward higher reliability and yields.
In summary, properly leveraging the data from FCT testing helps
PCB manufacturers achieve improved quality, process control,
and customer confidence.

1.
2.


1.
What are some key questions FCT testing helps answer?

2.
FCT testing provides answers to critical questions including:
3.
o Are there any shorts or opens on the bare boards
indicating potential defects?
o Do all tested nodes show the right connectivity to
adjacent points per the design?
o Are there any indications of impedance issues or
propagation delays that could affect signal
performance?
o Do the circuits function correctly when stimulated with
logic test patterns and clocks?
o Are any power or ground networks skewed out of
tolerance on impedance or resistance?
o Do analog circuits like oscillators operate within
expected frequency ranges?

o Are there any signs of crosstalk or leakage between
circuits that should be isolated?
4.
How is FCT testing integrated into the PCB fabrication workflow?
5.
FCT testing is performed after all fabrication processing is
complete but before solder mask, silkscreen, or surface
finishes are applied to the PCBs. This allows access to test
points that may be blocked after these steps. FCT occurs
before routing the boards on to assembly and provides a
quality gate to avoid wasting further value-add on defective
boards.
6.
7.

8.
How do you design FCT test fixtures and test points?
9.
FCT fixtures are designed based on CAD data for each
unique PCB design. Test points are added to the PCB layout
in unused areas, often on non-functional edges/corners.
Testpoint locations are optimized to access key nodes while
minimizing fixtures complexity. Strategies like daisy-chaining
can minimize total test points. Both fixture and board
designers collaborate to enable effective testing.
10.
11.
12.

What is the difference between “flying probe” and “bed of nails”
FCT testing?
13.
Flying probe testers use movable probes to target individual
test points. This provides more versatility for complex
boards but lower throughput. Bed of nails uses an array of
fixed pins to contact boards and enables higher throughput
but only for simpler board geometries. Hybrid fixtures can
leverage benefits of both approaches.
14.
15.
16.
How can you calculate the ROI for implementing FCT testing?
17.

The ROI justification factors the costs of testing (equipment,
fixtures, labor) versus the defect risks detected multiplied by
their associated costs (rework, scrap, field failures). As an
example, catching even a 2% defect rate before assembly
could save millions in avoiding wasted components and
recalls. The more complex and critical the PCB application,
the higher the ROI.
18.
Conclusion
FCT testing provides PCB manufacturers with invaluable quality
control and feedback by enabling early detection of fabrication
defects before boards proceed to assembly. Rigorous FCT
procedures and failure analysis prevents avoidable functionality
issues or field failures and the significant costs associated with
them.
By validating designs, catching flaws, and driving process
improvements, FCT testing delivers large returns on investment
and is considered essential for quality management of PCB
production. As PCBs grow more complex, FCT helps ensure they
function correctly when deployed in finished products. With

careful fixture design, testing best practices, and diagnostic
diligence, manufacturers can leverage FCT to deliver the highest
reliability and yields.
https://www.raypcb.com/fct-test/

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RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

What is FCT Test Meaning to PCB

during the manufacturing process of printed circuit boards (PCBs). It

involves testing the functionality of the circuits on the PCB to ensure

manufacturers, performing FCT testing properly is crucial for avoiding

costly errors and producing high-quality boards that work correctly

when assembled into finished products.

This article will provide a comprehensive overview of FCT testing for

FCT results for PCB manufacturers.

Request FCT Test Service Quote

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

What is FCT Testing?

FCT stands for functional circuit test. It is a method of testing

unpopulated or bare printed circuit boards to verify the electrical

connectivity and functionality of the circuits based on the intended

The key goals of FCT testing include:

 Validate PCB fabrication: FCT testing checks for any

manufacturing defects, errors or flaws in the PCB fabrication

process that can lead to malfunctioning circuits. This verifies

the PCB vendor correctly fabricated the boards according to

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

 Catch assembly errors early: By testing boards before they are

assembled and populated with components, FCT testing can

identify any issues in the bare boards that would be harder to

detect after assembly. Catching errors early prevents wasting

time and money on assembling defective boards.

 Ensure design integrity: FCT confirms that the circuits and

connections implemented on the fabricated board match the

intended PCB design files and schematics.

electrical connections (shorts) or breaks in continuity (opens) in

 Evaluate manufacturability: FCT results provide feedback on the

manufacturability of the PCB design and highlight any areas that

may need to be improved or corrected in the design.

In summary, FCT provides a vital quality control gate between PCB

fabrication and assembly to verify the fabricated boards meet

functionality and reliability requirements for further production.

FCT Testing Fixtures

To perform FCT on printed circuit boards, specialized testing

apply signals and measure the board’s electrical responses. FCT

fixtures provide both mechanical handling of the boards and

electrical connectivity to test points on the board circuits.

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

This type of fixture uses an array of spring-loaded “nails” or pins

to contact test pads on the PCBs. It provides access to test points

across the entire board area. The bed-of-nails approach can

test digital circuits and simple analog circuits.

Flying Probe Fixture

Flying probe fixtures use movable test probes on precision robots

to target specific test points on the PCB. This provides more

versatility to reach points on complex board geometries. Flying

probe can test digital and more complex analog circuits.

Hybrid fixtures combining both bed-of-nails and flying probes are

also available. The type of FCT fixture selected depends on the

PCB design, complexity, test access needs, and other

can occur in the PCB fabrication process. By applying test signals

PCB Manufacturing & Assembly Services https://www.raypcb.com/

Open circuits – A break in the conductive path between points

that should be connected according to the design schematics.

Opens may be caused by gaps or thinning of copper traces,

incomplete holes, or other fabrication flaws.

Short circuits – An unintended conductive bridge between two