In this paper, we present a smart machine
vision (SMV) system for printed circuit board (PCB)
inspection. It has advantages over the traditional
manual inspection by its higher efficiency and
accuracy. This SMV system consists of two modules,
LIF (Learning Inspection Features) and OLI (On-Line
Inspection). The LIF module automatically learns
inspection features from the CAD files of a PCB
board. The OLI module runs on-line to inspect PCB
boards using a high-resolution 2-D sensor and the
knowledge provided by the LIF components. Key
algorithms developed for SMV are presented in the
paper. The SMV system can be deployed on a
manufacturing line with a much more affordable price
comparing to other commercial inspection systems.