National Instruments Corporation

Avaya Technology LLC

Hewlett-packard Company

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Ron Jay Barnett

Hui Wu

Gregory Stephen Gonzales

Richard Franklin Schwartz

Ilya Alexander Korisch

Zhengxiang Ma

Louis Thomas Manzione

John F Casey

Matthew K Schwiebert

Geary L Chew

Charles Joseph Buondelmonte

King Lien Tai

Lewis R Dove

Dean B Nicholson

Yee Leng Low

Michael T Powers

Thaddeus Wojcik

Brian R Hutchison

Thomas W Finkle

Gerald J Gleason

Richard F Schwartz

Right angle transition to circuit. A system includes a conductive plate, coaxial transmission line, a circuit, parallel to the conductive plate, and a right angle transition from the coaxial transmission line to the circuit. The transmission line includes a center pin protruding through a hole in the plate, an outer conductor formed by a conductive surface of the hole, and air dielectric between. The circuit includes a top conducting layer (TCL), ground plane with cutout, and an insulating substrate between the TCL and ground plane that abuts the pin. The transition includes the pin, a conductive element connecting the center pin to the TCL, the outer conductor, the air dielectric, the abutment of the substrate against the pin, and the cutout. The abutment and cutout minimize manufacturing variations regarding distance between the pin and the ground plane. The transition tunes out inductance introduced by bonding the pin to the TCL.

Right angle transition to circuit

A connector is disclosed. The connector includes a conductive housing. The conductive housing includes a wall region enclosing a space for receiving an adapter. The conductive housing also includes an annular end piece extending radially inward from a first end of the wall region and terminating the space. The annular end piece includes a flat annular surface, and a raised deformable annulus mounted on the flat annular surface. The raised deformable annulus is of a height such that an insertion of the adapter into the space deforms the raised deformable annulus to generate a physical contact connection between the flat annular surface and the adapter.

Use of crushable connector interface

Method of fabricating a crushable connector interface

A measurement apparatus is disclosed. The measurement apparatus includes a lid configured to be removably affixed to a case. The lid is formed from a substrate composed of a first material. An interior surface of the lid includes a surface coating of a second material. A raised seal is affixed to the substrate and extends beyond the interior surface in a direction orthogonal to the interior surface. The raised seal includes an elastic deformable layer adjacent to the substrate. The raised seal also includes a surface conforming layer configured such that, when the lid is affixed to the case, the surface conforming layer is adjacent to the case along a side opposite the elastic deformable layer. The surface conforming layer is composed of a material of a yield strength less than a normal force generated by fixation of the lid to the case.

Deformable seal integrated with package lid

A measurement apparatus is disclosed. The measurement apparatus includes a lid configured to be removably affixed to a microcircuit case. One or more penetrations through the lid allow insertion of a signal-conducting probe. The probe is removably affixed to the lid at the site of the penetration. The probe includes a central conductive pin. The central conductive pin transmits to a connection outside the case a radio-frequency signal inductively received from a source inside the case. The probe also includes a dielectric region radially surrounding a portion of the central conductive pin, and a grounded outer conductive housing radially surrounding the dielectric region and electrically isolated from the central conductive pin by the dielectric region.

E-field probe integrated with package lid

An apparatus for filtering a signal is disclosed. The apparatus includes a conductive line affixed to a surface of a substrate. For a signal received at an end of the conductive line, the apparatus is configured to filter at least a portion of the frequency components of the signal. First and second resistive films are adjacent to a respective side of the conductive line along a first side of each of the first and second resistive films, respectively. The first and second resistive films have a first resistivity. Third and fourth resistive films adjacent to a respective one of the first and second resistive films along a second side of each of the first and second resistive films. Each second side of the first and second resistive films extends beyond the third and fourth resistive films. The third and fourth resistive films have a second resistivity.

Integrated lossy low-pass filter

Crushable connector interface

A new physical design for electronic devices ( ) comprises a multi-layer stacked assembly ( ) of a plurality of pan-shaped conductive units that form the layers of the assembly. Each unit is preferably formed from a single sheet of metal into which electronic components, such as an antenna array ( ) or a filter array ( ) of a transceiver, have been stamped, cut, or etched, and which is then bent around its periphery to form a pan shape. The pans are oriented to face the same direction, are stacked one on top of another, and are fixedly attached to each other by weld, solder, or adhesive. The electrical components defined by the different units are electrically interconnected in a connectorless manner, preferably by flanges ( ) formed in the same sheets of metal as the units themselves and extending between the units. Adjacent units in the stack define electromagnetically isolated chambers, e.g., for the filter array. Some layers perform double duty, e.g., a layer ( ) that forms a part of the chamber that houses the filter array also acts as a reflector plane for the antenna array.

Electronic stacked assembly

A &ldquo;Gatling gun&rdquo; via to interconnect circuitry from a first side of a substrate or printed circuit board, to a second side of the substrate or board. The present via structure comprises a center conductor via surrounded by a plurality of ground vias. The plurality of ground vias shield the center conductor via, thus providing electrical isolation for the conductor via from the rest of the circuitry. In one embodiment, the conductor via is electrically connected to a conductive pattern on the substrate by a wire bond.

Microcircuit shielded, controlled impedance &ldquo;Gatling gun&rdquo;via

A high-frequency, e.g., microwave, filter ( ) is made, e.g., stamped or etched, from a single sheet ( ) of electrically conductive material, e.g., a metal plate or a printed circuit board. The sheet defines a frame ( ), one or more resonant filter elements ( ) inside of the frame, one or more supports ( ) connecting each resonant filter element to the frame, and a flange ( ) on one of the resonant filter elements. The flange serves as an electrical contact to the filter; another flange ( ) on another element, or the frame itself, serves as a second contact. An electrically conductive housing ( ) encapsulates both faces of the sheet.

Sheet-metal filter

A transceiver (,) comprises a stacked metal laminate assembly of a plurality of layers (,) inside an enclosure (,). A first layer (,) forms an antenna. A second layer (,) forms a ground plane for the antenna. A third layer (,) forms &ldquo;front-end&rdquo; filters (duplexer). A fourth layer (,) together with the second layer forms an electromagnetic isolation enclosure for the filters. A fifth layer (,) comprises a PC board with electronic circuits of the transceiver mounted thereon, and is both mounted to and electronically shielded by the fourth layer. Each of the first through fourth layers is preferably made from a single metal layer, such as a sheet of metal, by stamping. Each of the first through fourth layers is either bent along its periphery into a substantially &ldquo;cake-pan&rdquo; shape, or is flat and has a separate side wall (,) attached thereto. Flanges (,and,) that are unitarily formed with the filters extend through orifices (,and,) in the second and fourth layers to connect the filters with the antenna and the electronic circuits. The connections may be conductive or capacitive. The assembly is put together by stacking the first through fourth layers and then epoxying, soldering, or welding them together.

Transceiver stacked assembly

A high-frequency, e.g., microwave, antenna (,) is stamped from a single sheet (,) of electromagnetically conductive material, e.g., a metal plate. A manufacture comprising a frame (,), a plurality of radiator antenna elements (,), a plurality of first supports (,) each connecting a radiator antenna element to the frame, a feed network (,) connected to the radiator antenna elements, and a plurality of second supports (,) connecting the radiators and the feed network to each other and to the frame, are stamped out of the single sheet. A combiner (,) may be included in the manufacture as well. The second supports provide alignment and rigidity during manufacture and assembly. Preferably, a plurality of the manufactures are stamped out side-by-side from a single roll (,) for ease of automated manufacture and assembly. The frame is either made in two pieces (,) or is bent relative to the resonator antenna elements along fold lines (,), to provide an offset of the radiators from a ground plane (,). The frame is mounted on the ground plane, and the second supports are then removed. Preferably, the feed network is positioned (e.g., by being bent) to lie closer to the ground plane than the radiator antenna elements.

Sheet-metal antenna

A resonant capacitive coupler (,) couples signals across a gap (,) between signal transmission lines (,) of two printed wiring boards (,). The coupler has a conductive contact member (,or,) that is either positioned in close proximity to one of the transmission lines (,) or is connected to the one transmission line via a dielectric (,or,), and forms a capacitor therewith. The coupler further has a conductive interconnect member (,or,) that is connected to the contact member, and also to the other transmission line (,) either directly (FIG.,) or via a second conductive contact member (,) (FIG.,). The conductive interconnect member is dimensioned to have an inductive impedance at the frequency of the signals that equals, and hence cancels out, the capacitive impedance of the one or two capacitors formed by the one or two contact members. The coupler therefore resonates at the signal frequency, and relative to conventional capacitive coupling achieves a low-loss interconnection over large gaps while requiring only small capacitance to do so.

Resonant capacitive coupler

A bandpass planar filter (,) comprises a signal input and a signal output (,), and one or more resonator elements (,) coupled serially end-to-end between the input and the output across gaps (,) that separate the elements from the input, the output, and from each other. The resonator elements form a serpentine shape such that at least two portions of the serpentine shape are positioned side-by-side parallel to each other separated by a spacing (,). The side-by-side portions effect additional coupling between the resonator elements that forms a notch (transmission zero) (,) in the passband (,) of the filter. The input, output, and resonator elements are etched into one surface (,) of a PC board (,); the other surface (,) of the PC board forms a ground plane of the filter, and the substrate (,) of the PC board forms a dielectric of the filter.

Method of tuning a planar filter with additional coupling created by bent resonator elements

A surface mountable coaxial solder interconnect. The invention provides a small, low-cost, passively self-aligning, high-frequency electronic interconnect adapted to mass production and method. The invention includes a substrate, a signal conductor, and an annular conductor. The substrate incorporates an annular pad and a signal pad substantially centered within the annular pad. The signal conductor includes reflowed solder and is wetted to the signal pad. Similarly, the annular conductor includes reflowed solder and is wetted to the annular pad. The invention may also provide a second substrate substantially parallel to the first substrate that includes a second annular pad and a second signal pad substantially centered within the second annular pad. In such a case, the signal conductor is also wetted to the second signal pad, and, similarly, the annular conductor is also wetted to the second annular pad. The method of the invention includes obtaining a mask and a substrate. The mask obtained defines a center cavity and an annular cavity surrounding the center cavity, and may also define an outer cavity in fluidic communication with the annular cavity. The substrate obtained includes a solder-wettable signal pad, and a solder-wettable annular pad surrounding the signal pad. The mask is then filled with solder paste and aligned with the substrate such that the center cavity of the mask is in registry with the signal pad. The solder paste is then reflowed, generating solder wetting the solder-wettable signal pad and the solder-wettable annular pad.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Rosa, CA, United States of America

Ron Jay Barnett