Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Keysight Technologies, Inc.

Michael Thomas McTigue

Edward Vernon Brush

Kenneth William Johnson

Allen Montijo

Jason Swaim

James Edward Cannon

David J Dascher

Kenneth Rush

Michael J Lujan

Stuart O Hall

Bob Kimura

Daniel A Garcia

Hal Robert Paver

A system and method for compensating for thermal drift of a probe device includes monitoring a first temperature of a laser source in a sensor head that receives output electrical signals from a DUT and outputs corresponding optical signals; monitoring a second temperature of a photoreceiver in a probe interface that converts the optical signals to electrical test signals to input to the test instrument; calculating a first value of a first bias voltage; applying the first value of the first bias voltage to the laser source to compensate for thermal drift when the first temperature is within a first predefined temperature range; calculating a second value of a second bias voltage for the photoreceiver; and applying the second value of the second bias voltage to the photoreceiver to compensate for thermal drift when the second temperature is within a second predefined temperature range.

Voltage probe device with adjustable bias

A direct current (DC) power rail probe includes a single-ended probe tip, and a two-path circuit having an input coupled to the single-ended probe tip and an output configured for connection to measurement equipment such as an oscilloscope. The two-path circuit includes an alternating current (AC) path in parallel with a feed-forward (FF) path, the AC path including a capacitive element, and the FF path including a series connection of at least one resistive element and an amplifier. The probe tip and two-path circuit are selectively operable in a non-attenuating mode and an attenuating mode.

DC power rail probes and measurement methods

A miniature probe for measuring small voltage signals of a DUT includes a probe body having a flexible substrate and signal transmission lines running a longitudinally, and a first probe connection circuit located at a first end of the probe body and including exposed wires, SMT components coupled between the exposed wires and the signal transmission lines, respectively, and a local mechanical stiffener mounted adjacent the SMT components. The wires are connectable to the DUT for receiving the voltage signals. The probe further includes a second probe connection circuit located at a second end of the probe body, and including transmission line connectors coupled to the signal transmission lines, respectively, and a bent portion of the flexible substrate between the probe body and the transmission line connectors. The bent portion enables the transmission line connectors to exit the probe substantially axially, relative to the longitudinal length of the probe body.

Miniature test probe

A single-ended test probe includes a probe body such as a coaxial cable, a signal tip integral with the core (signal conductor), to ground arm having a ground tip and mounted to the coaxial cable, and an electrically conductive ground member projecting outside the coaxial cable and electrically conductively connecting the ground arm to the shield (ground conductor) of the coaxial cable. The ground member may be located closer to the end of the cable than the location at which the ground arm is mounted to the cable to minimize inductance in the connection between the probe and a device under test. The ground member may also be a cam by which the span between the ground and signal tips can be adjusted. Also, the test probe may include a second ground arm that is detachable connectable to the probe body independently of the first.

Single ended test probe having ground and signal tips

A browser probe has a probe body including a signal line, a nose of electrical insulating material integral with and projecting from the probe body, a pin supported by the probe body and electrically conductively connected to the signal line, a spring exerting a biasing force on the pin, an electrically conductive probe tip supported by the nose at a distal end of the nose remote from the probe body, and a plurality of discrete resistors interposed between the pin and the probe tip within the nose. The resistors are supported independently of another so as to be slidable within the nose. The probe tip is electrically conductively connected to the signal line via the resistors and the pin under the biasing force exerted by the spring.

Browser probe

An oscilloscope system includes a current probe, a processing unit and a display unit. The current probe includes a high and low gain signal paths for receiving simultaneously a signal of interest from a device under test (DUT), and to output amplified small and large current portions of the signal of interest, respectively. The processing unit receives first and second digitized data corresponding to the amplified small and large current portions output by the high and low gain signal paths, respectively, and processes the first and second digitized data for display as zoomed-in and zoomed-out waveform data, respectively. The display unit displays simultaneously a zoomed-in waveform in a first display window, based on the zoomed-in waveform data, and a zoomed-out waveform in a second display window, based on the zoomed-out waveform data, using the same time scale. The small current portion is less than a predetermined threshold.

Oscilloscope system and method for simultaneously displaying zoomed-in and zoomed-out waveforms

A probe for a measurement instrument comprises an input terminal configured to receive an input signal from a device under test (DUT), an output terminal configured to transmit an output signal to a measurement instrument, and a clamping circuit disposed in a signal path between the input terminal and the output terminal and configured to clamp an internal probe signal between an upper clamping threshold and a lower clamping threshold to produce the output signal, wherein the clamping circuit operates with substantial gain and amplitude linearity throughout a range between the upper clamping threshold and the lower clamping threshold.

Oscilloscope probe having output clamping circuit

A measurement probe comprises at least one input port configured to receive an input signal generated in relation to a device under test (DUT), and an amplification unit configured to amplify the input signal with a first gain where the input signal has a first amplitude, and further configured to amplify the input signal with a second gain lower than the first gain where the input signal has a second amplitude greater than the first amplitude.

Measurement probe providing different levels of amplification for signals of different magnitude

A micro-browser has pair of rods each rod entering a corresponding bore in a sleeve that retains them, and that may itself be carried by a grip shaped to be rotated between a thumb and a finger. The edge of a small circuit board is soldered at the distal end of the rod. One of the rods is allowed to rotate within its bore in the sleeve, while the other is held stationary by a notch in the sleeve. The rotatable rod has a captive spring that resists the force of probe contact. Each board carries a coupling network connected to a short sharp probe tip bent downward away from the plane of its board, allowing the distance between the probe tips to be a function of the amount of rotation. The other end of each coupling network is coupled to a short length of a respective 50 &#x3a9; coaxial cable that passes through an axial slot in the grip to enter an amplifier pod that drives a main cable leading to test equipment. The rods may be held within the bores by friction created by slight bends in the rods. The circuit boards each include shields connected together at a location that is as close as possible to the probe tips by arranging that the rods touch each other near the probe tips. If the rods are parallel, then there is a slight bend in the non-rotating rod at the location where it passes the non-probe-carrying edge of the circuit board, such that it touches the corresponding portion of the rotatable rod. If the rods are both straight, then the axes of the rods are coplanar but convergent.

Compliant micro-browser for a hand held probe

A probe for connecting a device under test to a measurement device that corrects for dc errors and noise generated by the current flowing through the ground shield of a transmission line used by the probe. The probe identifies a voltage drop in the ground preferably using an additional line between the device under test and the measurement device. The signal provided to the measurement device is corrected based on the identified voltage drop.

Apparatus and method for canceling DC errors and noise generated by ground shield current in a probe

Offset adjustments for both differential and single-ended measurements are accomplished in the same probe or system. Different variable offsets are provided for the positive and negative inputs of a differential amplifier, and a variable offset adjustment is provided to remove differential amplifier output offset. Common mode and reduced dynamic range problems for both differential and single-ended measurements are eliminated. All or desired portions of required functions may be implemented using discrete or DSP approaches.

Measurement interface optimized for both differential and single-ended inputs

A voltage probe includes a signal lead that is configured to be soldered to a probing location in a device that is to be probed by the voltage probe, and a first cable that is coupled to the signal lead and that is configured to conduct an output signal that is responsive to an input signal that is received by the signal lead from the device. The signal lead has a thermal conductivity of less than 200 Watts per meter Kelvin (W/mK). Methods and other systems for providing electrical connections to devices under test are disclosed.

Voltage probe

A voltage probe includes a first signal lead configured to receive a first signal from a device under test, a first probe-tip network that is coupled to the first signal lead and that has a frequency response that includes a first transmission zero, a first compensation network that is coupled to the first probe-tip network and that has a frequency response that includes a first transmission pole, a second signal lead configured to receive a second signal from the device under test, a second probe-tip network that is coupled to the second signal lead and that has a frequency response that includes a second transmission zero, a second compensation network that is coupled to the second probe-tip network and that has a frequency response that includes a second transmission pole, and a differential amplifier circuit that is coupled to the first compensation network and to the second compensation network, and that is configured to provide a third signal that is responsive to the first signal and to the second signal. Methods and other systems for providing electrical connections to devices under test are disclosed.

Differential voltage probe

Systems and methods for wideband single-end probing of variably spaced probe points are provided. One such embodiment includes a probe housing. The probe housing at least partially surrounds a probe barrel. A probe barrel end cap extends from the probe barrel and at least partially surrounds a probe tip. The longitudinal axis of the probe tip is offset from the longitudinal axis of the probe barrel. A ground tip is adjacent to the probe tip and electrically connected to the probe barrel. Methods are also provided.

Systems and methods for wideband single-end probing of variabily spaced probe points

Systems and methods for wideband differential probing of variably spaced probe points are provided. One such embodiment includes a probe housing at least partially surrounding a first probe barrel and a second probe barrel. A first probe barrel end cap and a second probe barrel end cap extend respectively from the first and second probe barrels and also at least partially surround respectively a first probe tip and a second probe tip. The longitudinal axes of the first and second probe tips are offset respectively from the longitudinal axes of the first and second probe barrels. Methods are also provided.

Growing community of inventors

Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Michael Thomas McTigue