For more complicated projects, you may need to have a complicated testing procedure in which case we can make multi-step testers that also keep the PCB held down with little ears!
(We totally saw this and stole the idea from someone online but we can't find the link anymore, sorry!)
The plastic pieces hold down the PCB against the pogo bed. This tester, when used with a little batch script, performs the following test:
- Reprograms the board's fuses and flash with a bootloader (via the ISP port). For this part we're using the Arduino as an ISP programmer (there's a sketch that does this)
- The computer then bootloads (via USB) a pin-by-pin testing program
- Once the board indicates the test completed, the computer erases the testing program
There are various types, sizes and lengths of pogo pins. When you are designing your particular project, you will want to check the fit of your board against the pins to ensure a good mechanical fit. Pins to short or too long may not make the desired electrical connection you are planning.
This article by DigiKey is good at explaining pogo pins.
Page last edited July 29, 2025
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