Automated inspection of PCB

Many devices, including digital cameras, washing machines, smart cars, computers, etc., will have a PCB as an integral component. Today’s PCB demands the highest density of components and increased tolerance on these components. Surface mount technology (SMT) is making it possible to add many miniaturized components to PCBs. Component size is decreasing, and the component number is increasing; inspecting these components is becoming even more challenging. As many products are becoming smart, there is a huge demand for PCBs. Huge demands for PCBs also demand quicker inspection techniques. This shows the increased demand for online and inspection techniques. Many types of defects are encountered in the manufacturing of PCBs, such as missing components, cracks, etc. Many of the existing inspection techniques are not suitable for online PCB evaluation. In this scenario, the method presented in this article becomes very important. The present method uses image processing and deep learning-based technique for image identification and classification. Also, the method helps in the real-time assessment of PCBs.