Tektronix, Inc.

Gary W Reed

Richard A Booman

Michael J Mende

Marc A Gessford

Mark W Nightingale

James D Pileggi

J Steve Lyford

Karl A Rinder

William R Mark

Ira G Pollock

Kei-Wean Calvin Yang

William A Hagerup

Jim L Martin

William R Pooley

Lester L Larson

Desmond L Murphy

Paul G Chastain

John Erwin Reichen

Martin Van Pelt

Paul K Andersen

Richard Neff Meyer

Kenneth C Holland

A flexible resistive tip cable assembly includes a probe Radio Frequency (RF) connector structured to receive a RF differential signal and a testing connection assembly. A coaxial cable is structured to conduct the RF differential signal between the probe RF connector and the testing connection assembly. The coaxial cable includes a cable for conducting the differential signal, and a plurality of magnetic elements positioned along a length of the cable and structured to isolate the differential signal from common mode interference. The magnetic elements are separated from adjacent magnetic elements by a gap with elastomeric elements is positioned in each gap to provide cable flexibility. The assembly may also include an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) loaded with an attenuation associated with the flexible resistive tip cable assembly for use in signal testing by a device coupled to the testing connection assembly.

Flexible resistive tip cable assembly for differential probing

A differential pin to RF adaptor includes a center conductor contact with an RF connector on one end and a signal contact on the other end. An insulating sleeve surrounds the central contact. A reference contact surrounds the insulating sleeve. The signal pin of the differential pair interfaces with the center conductor contact of the RF connector. The adaptor is structured to slide down over a pair of pins/leads so that the reference contact abuts a circuit board attached to the pins. The pins/leads are shielded all the way to the circuit board, which shields/isolates the pins from common mode and other types of interference. The adaptor maintains the shape of the signal pin and the reference pin during testing. The adaptor maintains a fixed impedance of the pins, which reduces or eliminates uncontrolled impedance and hence preserves system frequency response and reduces/eliminates erroneous ripple currents.

Differential pin to RF adaptor for probing applications

A probing adapter has a support member receiving a probing tip assembly having probing arms. The probing tip assembly is mounted to the support member via a rotational joint having elastomeric member disposed in the probing arms with each of the probing arms having a pivot point disposed away from the rotational joint. Each of the probing arms supports a removable probing tip substrate having a probing tip at one end electrically coupled via an electrical signal conductor to an electrical connector at the other end. Substrate retention clips secure the removable probing tip substrates to the probing arms. A probing tip positioning member is mounted to the probing arms for varying the distance between the probing tips on the removable probing tip substrates.

Probing adapter for a signal acquisition probe having pivoting, compliant, variable spacing probing tips

An attachable/detachable variable spacing probing tip system has a housing that receives pivoting probing arms. Each probing arm has a support member and a probing arm portion of a flexible substrate having a conductive trace thereon. One end of each conductive trace is coupled to a probing contact and the other end coupled to an electrical contact pad on a electrical contact pad portion of the flexible substrate. Each of the probing arm portions has a generally S-shaped fold therein extending from the support members to the electrical contact portion of the flexible substrate. The housing includes means for pivoting the probing arms. The rear surface of the housing has a resilient member disposed therein. Latching means in the housing secures the electrical contact pad portion of the flexible substrate to the rear surface of the housing. Opposing attachment arms from a rear surface of the housing.

Attachable/detachable variable spacing probing tip system

A multi-channel, low input capacitance signal probe head has a housing that receives one or more substrates having input signal pads exposed on one end of the substrate. The substrate is positioned in the housing such that the signal contact pads are exposed at an open end of the housing. A removable signal contact holder mounts to the housing and supporting electrically conductive elastomer signal contacts. The holder is disposed over an open end of housing such that the elastomer signal contacts engage the input signal pads. A probe head retention member is provided for securing the multi-channel signal probe head to a device under test.

Multi-channel, low input capacitance signal probe and probe head

A removable mechanical attachment system has first and second removable attachment members with each removable attachment member having first and second links. Each link has a base and at least a first extension member extending from one side of the base. The links are secured to respective surfaces of first and second electrical sections with at least one of the extension members of the first and second links of each of the first and second removable attachment members extending past open end faces of the first and second electrical sections. The electrical sections are positioned in a proximate abutting relationship at the open end faces with the extension members extending past the open end faces of the electrical sections overlapping the other extension members of the first and second removable attachment members. A bonding material is applied to the overlapping extension members to join the extension members together.

Removable mechanical attachment system for electronic assemblies

A probe tip adapter for a measurement probe has at least a first electrically conductive element with a bore at one end and a probing contact formed on the other end. The bore of the electrically conductive element has an electrically conductive elastomer disposed therein having sufficient tensile strength, compression set, hardness, deflection force, elongation and percent recovery for repeatably securing the electrically conductive element to the probing tip of the measurement probe. The probing contact may be configured as a probing tip having a shaft that tapers at one end to a point and as a square pin adapter with a bore formed in the electrically conductive element that receives a spring contact. The probe tip adapter is useable with both single ended and differential measurement probes.

Probe tip adapter for a measurement probe

An adapter for a multi-channel signal probe has one of the mating plug or receptacle portions of the connector electrically coupled to a first array of contact pads on one surface of a substrate. A second array of contact pads corresponding to the signal contact pads on a device under test is formed on the other surface of the substrate. A removable signal contact holder supports electrically conductive elastomer signal contacts that couple the second array of contact pads to the signal contact pads of the device under test. The adapter is secured to the device under test using an adapter retention member that is positioned on the opposite of the circuit board from the signal contact pads. Screws attach the retention member to the adapter via through holes formed in the device under test.

Adapter for a multi-channel signal probe

A probe tip adapter for a measurement probe has at least a first electrically conductive element with a bore at one end and a probing contact formed on the other end. The bore of the electrically conductive element has an electrically conductive elastomer disposed therein having sufficient tensile strength, compression set, hardness, deflection force, elongation and percent recovery for repeatably securing the electrically conductive element to the probing tip of the measurement probe. An element holder is positionable on the measurement probe and has a cavity formed in one end for receiving the measurement probe. At least a first bore is formed in the other end of the element holder extending to the cavity and aligned with the probing tip of the measurement probe. The electrically conductive element is positioned in the holder bore such that the probing tip penetrates the elastomer and the probing contact extends from the holder. The probing contact may be configured as a probing tip having a shaft that tapers at one end to a point and as a square pin adapter with a bore formed in the electrically conductive element that receives a spring contact. The probe tip adapter is useable with both single ended and differential measurement probes.

A latching electrical connector with a body connectable to a receptacle and having a latch mechanism that mechanically engages the receptacle to resist disconnection. A flexible electrical cable extends from the body, and a grip element is connected to the latch mechanism to unlatch the mechanism upon pulling. The grip element is flexibly connected to the latch mechanism so that it may be folded aside to provide a compact arrangement.

Latched electrical connector

A high-impedance cascade attenuator device includes a plurality of attenuator stages mounted on a single substrate by means of metallization and thick film processes. The attenuator stages are conventional frequency-compensated voltage dividers designed for high-frequency operation; however, the capacitive compensation is included in the thick film process, and the attenuator components may be trimmed to provide precise impedance ratios so that calibration or circuit adjustments are never required.

Hybrid cascade attenuator

A modular pushbutton switch is removably mounted on a dielectric mounting member which has stationary contacts thereon. Contacts are removably mounted in a housing member and an actuating member moves the movable contacts and housing member into and out of engagement with the stationary contacts. Latching means is provided to maintain the movable contacts in one of two positions.

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Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Gary W Reed