Guided PCB Probe Navigation

When a new circuit board is powered on for the first time and a hardware engineer sees an abnormal reading on a power rail, the slowest part is often identifying the correct pad for the probe. The engineer imports the schematic, PCB layout, and a photo of the board, then calibrates the bench-camera view using two reference points. The product maps schematic nets to the physical pads in the camera image.

After the engineer selects a symptom such as “no output after power-on,” the screen circles the first test point on the board image and shows the expected voltage, ground reference, and probe direction. A Bluetooth multimeter returns the measured value, allowing the fault tree to rule out branches already supported by the evidence and bring forward the next test point most likely to narrow the fault. The engineer no longer has to switch repeatedly between a computer screen and dense board silkscreen.

Each reading is recorded in a troubleshooting trail with its board location, time, photo, and associated net. A colleague taking over can resume from where the previous probe left off. If a reading differs from the expectation, the product expands the regulators, protection components, and downstream loads connected to that net, helping the engineer decide whether to power down for inspection or continue measuring on a live board.

The initial version focuses on low-voltage DC power paths and supports common design files such as KiCad files and Bluetooth multimeters. It provides a measurement sequence and an evidence record; it does not replace an engineer’s judgment about shorts, high-voltage hazards, or component failures.