9 programmable machinery and equipment for simultaneous automated assembly of a plurality of printed circuit boards according to instructions pre-recorded on magnetic media, including equipment for automated selection, mounting, visual inspection, electrical verification and dimensional and mechanical testing of the constituent electrical and electronic components of such printed circuit boards, computer programs and data processing equipment for the storage and retrieval of instructions to enable simultaneous automated assembly of a plurality of printed circuit boards and to enable automated selection, mounting, visual inspection, electrical verification and dimensional and mechanical testing of the constituent electrical and electronic components of such printed circuit boards