Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Brock J LaMeres

Brent Anthony Holcombe

Kenneth William Johnson

Glenn Wood

Donald M Logelin

Joseph P Groshong

Probe accessories, and methods for routing signals between a target and a test instrument using the probe accessories, are disclosed. Some of the probe accessories include a flexible circuit and first and second pairs of contacts. Flexible circuit design varies, but one embodiment has first and second regions, a first conductor and a second conductor, and a separation feature. The first conductor extends into the first region while the second conductor extends into both the first and second regions and has a fixed spacing with respect to the first conductor. A separation feature extends between first and second regions and is operable to create two independently maneuverable legs, each leg comprising an end portion of the first and second regions, while maintaining a fixed spacing between the first and second conductors. The first and second pairs of contacts electrically couple the probe accessories between test points and test instruments.

Probe accessories, and methods for probing test points using same

A probe for an array of interconnecting leads between a PCA and an IC has one or more contacts extending laterally from or plated upon one or more arms formed of a flexible printed circuit, and connected by traces along the arm(s) to a header that itself affords connection to measurement equipment. The flexible printed circuit is thin enough to loosely slide between the top of the PCA or PCB and the bottom of the IC. The arm or arms is/are narrow enough to slide between the adjacent leads forming the array, while the normally flat contacts will successively interfere with, to engage and electrically contact, consecutive layers of leads as the probe is progressively inserted. An arm is not so stiff that it cannot yield by a slight compressive warping as the contacts encounter leads. Indexing may be 'by feel' or by visible indicia along a top surface of the probe or by a reticle device that moves over the top of the IC, which then has a pattern of indicia corresponding to lead location. Forming the shape of a Kapton substrate may also include use of a CVL operating in the range of 250 nm to 290 nm for the creation of extended copper contacts by the removal of underlying Kapton. Plating processes may also be used in the fabrication of (non-extended) wrap-around contacts at the edges of the Kapton.

Method and apparatus for probing at arbitrary locations within an inaccessible array of leads the solder balls or pins actually connecting a VLSI IC package to a substrate or socket

A board-to-board interconnect is presented. The interconnect is fashioned from solder beads or hemi-ellipsoidal surface features on a surface of a printed circuit board and contact pads on a second printed circuit board.

Board-to-board electronic interface using hemi-ellipsoidal surface features

In one embodiment, a probe for probing test points on a target board includes a printed circuit board, a frame, and a plurality of spring pins. The printed circuit board (PCB) has a first side with a plurality of solder pads thereon, and a plurality of signal routes that are electrically coupled to the solder pads for routing signals to a test instrument. The frame is mechanically coupled to the PCB and has a main body portion with a plurality of holes therein. The holes in the frame are aligned with the plurality of solder pads on the first side of the PCB. The plurality of spring pins are provided for probing the test points on the target board, with each spring pin being i) disposed in one of the holes in the frame, perpendicularly abutting the first side of the PCB, and ii) electrically coupled to one of the solder pads. Other embodiments, including a method of making a probe, are also disclosed.

Probe having a frame to align spring pins perpendicularly to a printed circuit board, and method of making same

A probe apparatus has first and second access ports and a measurement port. The first and second access ports are adapted to be interposed in a test circuit. A voltage amplifier and a voltage splitter are adapted to present the second access port and the measurement port each with a voltage representative of a voltage received by the first access port.

Regenerator probe

A probe retention kit may include a plurality of probe retention devices, each having: (i) a base; (ii) a retention mechanism, coupled to the base, for mechanically coupling a probe substrate with the plurality of probe retention devices; and (iii) solder legs to be inserted into a printed circuit board, the solder legs having opposite ends that extend through the base and provide an alignment mechanism for receiving the probe substrate. Alternative probe retention devices, and systems and methods using same, are also disclosed.

Probe retention kit, and system and method for probing a pattern of points on a printed circuit board

A probe includes an electrical element. The probe has reduced parasitic loading. A probe assembly with a plurality of probes is also disclosed.

Signal probe and probe assembly

An isolation resistor is incorporated into the plunger of a probe tip spring pin by, for example, doping a ceramic that is used to form the plunger, or forming the plunger of first and second electrically coupled materials, at least a first of which has a resistivity sufficient to serve as an isolation resistor. Alternately, an isolation resistor is embedded in a printed circuit board trace that is used to couple either an upper or lower blind plated hole to a via. A probe tip spring pin is then inserted into the upper blind plated hole.

Incorporation of isolation resistor(s) into probes using probe tip spring pins

An apparatus, method, and kit for probing a pattern of points on a first printed circuit board are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a probe having i) a plurality of compression interconnects to probe the pattern of points on the first printed circuit board, and ii) a plurality of fixed pins that are electrically coupled to the compression interconnects. The fixed pins extend from the probe opposite the compression interconnects. The apparatus further includes a flexible wire interconnect having first and second sets of electrically coupled connectors, the first set of which is coupled to the fixed pins of the probe. A second printed circuit board has at least one first connector that is electrically coupled to at least one second connector. The at least one first connector is coupled to the second set of connectors of the flexible wire interconnect, and the at least one second connector is configured to couple to a test instrument.

Apparatus, method, and kit for probing a pattern of points on a printed circuit board

Uncontrolled characteristic impedance along a spring biased pin probe assembly is avoided by providing a stepped shelf of ground plane that extends outward along the pin and toward the target signal. The length of outward extension is chosen such that even when there is only (or at least) an expected minimum amount of compression of the spring while producing and maintaining contact, the entire exposed portion of the pin is over the shelf, whose depth of step has been selected to produce a selected Zfor the exposed pin that matches Zfor existing transmission lines already within the probe assembly. The spring biased pin may be a resistor tip spring pin that includes a small resistor in its tip.

Probe assembly with controlled impedance spring pin or resistor tip spring pin contacts

A probe for probing test points on a target board uses a printed circuit board (PCB) having a plurality of signal routes for routing signals to a test instrument. The probe also has a plurality of spring pins for probing the test points on the target board. Each of the spring pins is i) disposed perpendicularly to the PCB, and ii) electrically coupled to at least one signal route of the PCB. By way of example, the spring pins may be fit into holes in the PCB or, alternately, they may be electrically coupled to signal routes of a second PCB that is perpendicularly abutted to the first PCB. Methods for making and using such probes are also disclosed.

Probes with perpendicularly disposed spring pins, and methods of making and using same

An electronic probe extender. In representative embodiments, an electronic probe extender is disclosed which includes a probe connector that is capable of electronic contact to an electronic test probe, an electronic signal conductor connected electronically to the probe connector, and an electronic probe tip connected electronically to the signal conductor. The electronic probe tip includes a tapered electronically conductive tip. The electronic probe tip is capable of electronic connection to an electronic test point.

Electronic probe extender

An alignment/retention device. The device includes a housing having a first side and an opposing second side. The housing includes an opening which extends from the first side to the second side. Multiple alignment pins are imbedded in the housing and extend external to both the first and second sides. On the first side the alignment pins are capable of insertion into matching holes on an electronic probe, and on the second side the alignment pins are capable of insertion into matching holes on an electronic circuit assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Brock J LaMeres