Inspection and process control for maintaining quality assurance over PCB artwork and bare-boards represent especially challenging requirements for metrology systems.

Artwork inspection requires precise measurement of critical features such as the positions of leads and pads, while bare-board inspection also involves accurate assessment of hole locations, size, trace widths, board length, width, and warpage. In addition to requiring consistent measurement accuracy over relatively large areas of travel, bare-boards also can pose difficult surface features that necessitate sophisticated lighting capabilities.