Flying Probe Test

Fixtureless Electrical Test for
Prototypes & NPI

Moving probes contact your test points directly from CAD, Gerber or ODB++ data — no bed-of-nails fixture, no tooling wait, no tooling cost. Full opens/shorts and component verification the same day your files arrive.

Zero Tooling Cost Same-Day Program Generation 0.10mm Pitch Access CAD / Gerber / ODB++ Direct
±25µm
Test point access accuracy
8+
Simultaneous moving probes
4h
Test program generation
100%
Fixture tooling cost saved
12K+
Boards flying-probe tested per year
100%
Net and test-point coverage
Same-Day
Test program generation
$0
Fixture tooling cost, every order
Faults & Issues We Catch

Defects flying probe
testing finds before shipment

Every net and every test point on the board is verified against your design intent. Hover to explore.

01

Open Circuits

Broken traces, cracked vias and cold solder joints that interrupt the intended signal path, located to exact XY coordinates.

02

Short Circuits

Unintended bridging between adjacent nets caused by solder bridges, conductive debris or etch defects.

03

Wrong Component Value

Resistor, capacitor, inductor and diode values measured in-circuit and compared against BOM tolerance.

04

Reversed Polarity

Diodes, electrolytic capacitors and polarized ICs placed backwards during assembly, caught before power-up.

05

Missing Components

Components dropped or omitted during placement and reflow, verified net-by-net against the design netlist.

06

Solder Bridge Detection

Fine-pitch IC and connector bridging on 0.10mm-pitch pads caught electrically, not just visually.

07

Insulation Resistance Faults

Isolation failures between power planes and adjacent circuits identified with configurable test voltages.

08

Prototype Design Verification

First-article netlist verification against CAD intent before you commit to volume production.

Our Testing Process

From CAD file to
pass/fail report — same day

No fixture design, no tooling fabrication wait. Your test program is generated directly from the same data you used to build the board.

01

CAD / Gerber / Netlist Import

We import your design directly from ODB++, Gerber X2, IPC-2581 or native CAD netlist files — no manual re-entry, no transcription errors between design and test.

ODB++ · Gerber X2 · IPC-2581 · native CAD
02

Automatic Test-Point Extraction

Software automatically extracts every accessible test point and pad from the design, flagging any nets with insufficient physical access before program build begins.

Automated coverage analysis
03

Test Program Generation

Our engineers generate and validate the flying probe test program the same day — no fixture design, no bed-of-nails fabrication, no 1–2 week tooling wait.

Typically 2–8 hours
04

Probe Calibration & Multi-Probe Scan

Up to 8 independently-driven probe heads are calibrated against your Gerber coordinates, then scan every net simultaneously for continuity, isolation and component value.

4–8 probes · top & bottom access
05

Pass/Fail Report with Fault Coordinates

Every board ships with a detailed report pinpointing the exact XY location of any fault, so your team can rework fast or feed findings straight back into design revision.

Coordinate-level fault reporting
Equipment & Technology

The systems behind
fixtureless electrical test

Precision motion control and CAD-driven programming, in-house, on every prototype and low-volume order.

Probe Head Technology

High-Precision Moving Probe Heads

Independently driven X/Y/Z probe heads with spring-loaded, gold-plated tips make direct electrical contact with test points — repositioned automatically for every net, with no physical fixture ever built.

up to 8 probes ±25µm positioning accuracy 0.1–0.4N contact force
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CAD-Driven Programming

Direct Program Generation from CAD / Gerber / ODB++

Test software imports your native design data, eliminating the manual netlist re-entry errors common to older test methods. The result is a validated program ready the same day your files land.

ODB++ / Gerber X2 / IPC-2581 automatic BOM cross-check 2–8h program build
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Multi-Probe Simultaneous Access

Top & Bottom Simultaneous Testing

Dual-sided probe systems access both faces of the board concurrently, cutting cycle time on dense double-sided assemblies and giving full electrical access to fine-pitch pads down to 0.10mm.

top + bottom access 0.10mm min. pad pitch up to 510×460mm boards
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Technical Specifications

Flying probe test
capabilities.

Every board is tested against its own netlist — no shared fixture, no compromise on coverage. Full test reports ship with every order.

  • 8pr
    Max simultaneous probes
  • 0.10mm
    Min. test-point pitch
  • 4–8h
    Program generation turnaround
  • 10pt/s
    Test speed per probe
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ParameterFlying Probe CapabilityStatus
Probe CountUp to 8 probes (4–8 configurable)Available
Min. Test-Point Pitch0.10mm (4 mil)Available
Board Size Range50×50mm – 510×460mmAvailable
Program Generation Time2–8 hours from CAD / GerberAvailable
Test SpeedUp to 10 points/second per probeAvailable
Top & Bottom AccessSimultaneous dual-sided testingAvailable
Component VerificationR, C, L, diode & transistor value / polarityAvailable
Continuity / Isolation Voltage5–50V DC, configurableAvailable
Fixture RequirementNone — fully fixturelessAvailable
Quality & Compliance

Test data your engineering team can trust.

Every flying probe test run is logged against your netlist with full pass/fail traceability. Reports are ready to hand straight to your design or quality team.

ISO 9001 : 2015
Third-party audited quality management
ISO 13485 : 2016
Medical device quality system
IPC-A-610 Class 2 / 3
Acceptability of electronic assemblies
RoHS / REACH Compliant
Full material declarations available

Complementary Inspection Methods

  • Automated Optical Inspection (AOI)Pre-test visual verification of every assembly
  • X-Ray Inspection — BGA & Hidden JointsConfirms solder joint integrity flying probe can't see
  • In-Circuit Test (ICT)Recommended complement once volume justifies fixture cost
  • Functional TestVerifies real-world performance beyond net-level checks
  • Final Visual InspectionCosmetic and mechanical check before packing
  • First Article Inspection (FAI) ReportsDesign-intent verification on first-build prototypes
Case Studies

Projects we've tested

Real prototype and NPI testing challenges — and how flying probe solved them.

Medical Devices · NPI

Portable Diagnostic Device Prototype

15 design iterations across an 8-week NPI cycle, each tested via flying probe with zero fixture cost or tooling delay between revisions.

15rev
Design revisions
4h
Avg program turnaround
$0
Fixture cost
Outcome

Design team iterated freely without waiting on fixture rebuilds. Two open-circuit defects caught before the first clinical sample shipped.

Industrial IoT · Low Volume

Sensor Gateway Board — 200-Unit Pilot Run

Low-volume pilot production tested 100% via flying probe rather than commissioning a bed-of-nails fixture that wouldn't be reused.

200
Units tested
100%
Net coverage
3
Faults isolated
Outcome

Customer saved an estimated $2,400 in fixture tooling cost while still achieving full net coverage across the entire pilot batch.

Consumer Electronics · Quick-Turn

Wearable PCB Test Program in 4 Hours

0.15mm-pitch flex-rigid wearable board with dense BOM tested same-day from CAD, well before the customer's fixture quote had even returned.

4h
Program build
0.15mm
Pad pitch
6
Probes used
Outcome

Full electrical verification delivered a full week ahead of the customer's original fixture-based test schedule.

Why HanSphere

Why NPI teams
choose flying probe with us.

Prototype and low-volume programs move fast. Our flying probe service is built to keep pace — no fixture lead time, no tooling invoice, full coverage on every revision.

$0
Tooling cost

Fixtureless testing on every prototype order

No bed-of-nails to design, quote or fabricate. Your design can change between revisions without invalidating a fixture investment.

4h
Program turnaround

Same-day test program generation from your CAD data

We build directly from ODB++, Gerber or native CAD files — no separate fixture design cycle sitting between you and a tested board.

8pr
Simultaneous probes

Multi-probe simultaneous top & bottom access

Multiple independently-driven probe heads test top and bottom concurrently, keeping cycle times competitive even without a fixture.

100%
Net coverage

Full net coverage without waiting on fixture fabrication

Every accessible test point on every net is verified — the same completeness as a bed-of-nails fixture, without the 1–2 week wait.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about flying probe testing, program generation and how it compares to fixture-based methods.

Flying probe is ideal for prototypes, NPI and low-to-medium volume runs where the design may still change or the volume doesn't justify a fixture. Bed-of-nails ICT becomes more cost-effective once you're running consistent high volumes, because the per-unit test time is faster once the fixture is built. We're happy to advise which method fits your project stage.

The test program is built entirely from your CAD, Gerber or ODB++ data — no physical sample is required to generate it. We do a first-article calibration run on your actual assembled board to confirm probe alignment before full production testing begins.

Our systems access test points down to 0.10mm pitch, covering the great majority of standard component pads and vias. Fully-shrouded BGA balls with no probe-accessible via are typically covered through boundary scan or a combination of flying probe plus AOI/X-ray, which we can recommend during DFM review.

Every accessible net and test point on every board is tested — there is no statistical sampling. Coverage is limited only by physical probe access, which is analysed automatically during program generation and reported to you before testing begins.

Typical turnaround is 2–8 hours from receipt of your CAD/Gerber/ODB++ files, depending on board complexity and net count. This compares to 1–2 weeks and several hundred to several thousand dollars for a bed-of-nails fixture — the core reason flying probe suits fast-moving prototype and NPI schedules.

Yes. In addition to continuity and isolation checks, our probes measure resistor, capacitor, inductor and diode values in-circuit and compare them against your BOM tolerance, flagging out-of-spec parts and reversed-polarity components before the board leaves the line.

Get a Quote

Start your flying probe
test project today.

Send us your CAD, Gerber or ODB++ files and our test engineering team will return a coverage analysis and quote within 8 working hours.

  • No fixture cost, no tooling wait
  • Same-day program generation for most boards
  • NDA signed on request — standard practice
  • Response within 8 working hours
  • No commitment required to get a quote
Request Flying Probe Test Quote All files encrypted · Max 80MB per upload · NDA available
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