Tektronix, Inc.

Karl A Rinder

Michael J Mende

Neil C Clayton

Richard A Booman

Marc A Gessford

Michael J Wadzita

Jessica Anna Dunn

Stanley G Miller

Thuy T Nguyen

Lawrence M Le Mon

Samuel A Cassel

Michael C Moore

Julie A Campbell

James D Pileggi

David T Engquist

Gary W Reed

Tony Lee Tarr

Heather J Vermilyea

Daniel G Knierim

Josiah A Bartlett

David A Sailor

Regina R Mrozik

Martin Van Pelt

A test-and-measurement probe () for a test-and-measurement instrument (), the test-and-measurement probe having a probe head () and a touchscreen user interface (). The probe head is configured to obtain a signal from a device under test. The touchscreen user interface is configured to visually convey test-and-measurement information to a user and to accept user touch input. In embodiments, the touchscreen user interface is removably connected to a compbox () of the test-and-measurement probe, through a wired connection or wirelessly.

Test and measurement probe having a touchscreen

Tip cable component of a measurement probe head assembly

A method for acquiring a signal from an encapsulated test point on a device under test, includes forming a hole in an encapsulant adjacent to the test point, the hole extending through the encapsulant to the test point, delivering a UV-curable conductive adhesive into the hole such that the delivered adhesive contacts the test point, applying UV light from a UV light source to cure the delivered adhesive, and connecting a conductive element between the cured adhesive and a test and measurement instrument.

Encapsulated component attachment technique using a UV-cure conductive adhesive

Measurement probe head assembly

A method for electrically connecting a test and measurement instrument to a via of a printed circuit board, PCB, the method comprising: dispensing a UV-curable conductive adhesive into a back-drilled hole formed in the PCB, the back-drilled hole extending to the via, such that the dispensed adhesive contacts the via; curing the dispensed adhesive by applying a UV light source to the dispensed adhesive; and connecting a test and measurement instrument to the cured adhesive using a conductive member.

Back-drilled via attachment technique using a UV-cure conductive adhesive

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

Stacking system support for electronic equipment

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

Stacking system for electronic equipment

A connector has a housing with an aperture formed therein having one portion larger than the other portion. The housing is mounted on the device under test with the housing positioned over a plurality of electrical contacts. An electrical load is positioned within the larger aperture of the housing and has a plurality of resistors disposed adjacent to an electrical contact assembly. A resilient member is positioned between the electrical load and the device under test such that a force directed on the electrical load compresses the resilient member to allow contact between a plurality of electrical contacts of the electrical contact assembly and the plurality of the electrical contacts on the device under test. Removing the force decompresses the resilient member and disconnects the plurality of contacts of the electrical contact assembly from the plurality of electrical contacts of the device under test.

Connector for selectively coupling an electrical load to a device under test

Growing community of inventors

Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Karl A Rinder