Fundamentally, an automated optical inspection for PCB doesn’t differ all that much from a manual inspection performed by a technician. The difference lies in the fact that this information is handled by a computer. A machine can optically assess a printed circuit board much faster than a person, without eye strain or making mistakes.

Because AOI uses visual data to make inspections, it can only analyze the surface of a printed circuit board. This makes it ideal for tracking issues with bare boards, solder paste printing, component placement, and solder joints. To uncover errors that may have occurred between layers, as in multi-layer printed circuit board manufacturing, an automated x-ray inspection is necessary.