206 referring to fig3 test device 300 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention may include a connector 302 to couple itself to motherboard 102 through socket 104 a signal capture circuit 304 to capture and or process signals received through connector 302 from motherboard 102 and an indicator circuit 306 to display the results of the signal capture operations at 204 connector 302 may be any connector compatible with socket 104 for example if socket 104 is a peripheral component interconnect pci socket an industry standard architecture isa socket extended industry standard architecture eisa socket or a single in line memory module simm socket connector 302 must conform to the pci isa eisa or simm standard respectively for purposes of illustration only socket 104 and connector 302 may conform to the 168 pin dimm socket standard as described in the joint electron device engineering council jedec standard no 21 c published by the electronics industries association in standard no 21 c approximately 49 pins are dedicated to power signals or are not connected leaving approximately 149 pins dedicated to data and or address and or control signals signal capture circuit 304 may include any necessary circuitry to detect and possibly process signals it receives from motherboard 102 through socket 104 and connector 302 see discussion below indicator circuit 306 may be any circuitry capable of indicating or displaying the results generated by signal capture circuit 304 in one embodiment of the invention indicator circuit 306 may include light emitting diodes leds 307 fig4 and 5 to indicate continuity between motherboard 102 and test device 300 via socket 104 connector 302 for example the led 307 fig4 and.