Tektronix, Inc.

Steve U Reinhold

Duwayne R Anderson

Marc A Gessford

Chris A Valentine

Mark D Marineau

Taylor S K Heen

David M Ediger

Satya N Whitlock

Lorimer L Twigg

James H McGrath, Jr

Neil C Clayton

Prashanth Thota

Brian A Hollenberg

Jerry L Wrisley

David T Engquist

Jonathan E Myers

Marcus Kieling Da Silva

M David Swafford

Friedrich Scheu

John S Lyford

Neil Clayton

William K Bucher

Protective case for a test and measurement instrument

Battery accessory for a test and measurement instrument

Test and measurement instrument with stand and battery

Test and measurement instrument and accessories

An assembly suitable for housing electronic components can include a top shield and a bottom shield, the bottom shield having a conductive outer cover, a wall section, and a laminating portion between the conductive outer cover and the wall section. The laminating portion may include laminating material. A printed circuit board (PCB) may be positioned between the top shield and the bottom shield.

Laminated punched sheet metal electronic enclosure/shield with integrated gaskets

A stackable, recessed, locking, insulated thumbscrew for connecting modules together in a stack such that removal of one module from the stack does not loosen other modules in the stack has an insulated knurled cap that fits over the end of a main screw body. The main screw body has an interior threaded end and an exterior threaded end, with the knurled cap slidable over the interior threaded end by means of a bayonet pin on the main screw body and corresponding bayonet slot in the knurled cap. A cap spring is captured between a retainer flange integral with or retainer ring mounted on the interior threaded end adjacent the exterior threaded end and the knurled cap to apply pressure to the knurled cap. In a raised position the knurled cap may be readily grasped for manual screwing and unscrewing of the thumbscrew to add or remove a module from the stack. In a recessed position where the knurled cap is depressed and rotated the knurled cap extends sufficiently so that locking surfaces on the cap engage a locking feature in an upper module so that when the upper module is removed by unscrewing the upper thumbscrew, the lower thumbscrew is restrained from turning, thus keeping the lower module securely fastened in the stack.

Stackable, recessed, locking, insulated thumbscrew

Modular measurement instrument

A retractable connector mechanism for a signal connector has a recessed tub housing with a signal connector carrier rotatably fixed within the housing. The retractable connector mechanism rotates from the stored position in the housing to an angled positioned extending out of the housing. A biased carrier latch is attached to the signal connector carrier and is biased by a spring to rotate to a locked position. The biased carrier latch has a cam surface that travels on first and second guide surfaces within the housing such that rotating the signal connector carrier from the stored position to the angled position causes the cam surface to travel on the first guide surface and the biased carrier latch to rotate to a locked position on the second guide surface to latch the signal connector carrier in the angled position.

Retractable connector mechanism for signal connectors

An remote fiber test system includes a non-blocking N.times.N optical switch having N input ports and N output ports with one of the input ports coupled to a measurement test instrument for examining any of the optical fibers coupled to the output ports. The non-blocking switch includes a plurality of N input mechanical optical switches and an plurality of N output mechanical optical switches with each of the input mechanical optical switches having an input optical transmission path representing one of the input ports and each of the output mechanical optical switches having an output optical transmission path representing one of the output ports. Each input mechanical optical switch has N output optical transmission paths which each optical transmission path being coupled to one of the input optical transmission paths of each of the output mechanical optical switches. Each output mechanical optical switch has N input optical transmission paths with each optical transmission path being coupled to one of the output optical transmission paths of each input mechanical optical switch. Interconnecting optical transmission paths may be used to couple the N output optical transmission paths of the input mechanical optical switches with the input optical transmission paths of the output mechanical optical switches.

Remote fiber test system using a non-blocking N.times.N mechanical fiber

An remote fiber test system includes at least one mechanical optical switch has opposing input and output optical fiber bundles disposed within offset ferrules with at least one input fiber coupled to a measurement test instrument and each of the output fiber coupled to an optical fiber link via wavelength division multiplexers. Each ferrule of the optical switch is mounted in three-point kinematically correct V-groove holder allowing the optical fibers in each optical fiber bundle to traverse on a closed curve path during the rotation of the respective ferrules. The closed curve paths of each optical fiber in one of the optical fiber bundles intersect at least one of the closed curve paths of the optical fiber in the opposing optical fiber bundles. The intersection points of two opposing closed curve paths establish the optimum positioning locations for two opposing fibers.

Remote fiber test system using mechanical optical switches

A mechanical optical switch having opposing first and second optical transmission paths, such as optical fibers, forming an optical interface and rotating about respective independent and offset first and second rotational axes for positioning the fibers on respective first and second offset and intersecting closed curves operates to rotate the input or first optical fiber on its closed curve to one of the two intersecting points on its closed curve in response to the angular coordinate representative of the position of fiber at the intersecting point matching the intersecting point of the second optical fiber. The output or second optical fiber is rotated on its closed curve to the intersecting point corresponding to the intersecting point of the first fiber in response to the angular coordinate representative of the position of the second fiber at the intersecting point. These rotational movements may be performed sequentially, but in the preferred embodiment they are performed simultaneously. Since the offset closed curves intersect at two unique points, the speed of the switch may be increased by selecting the intersecting points closest to the input and output fibers prior to rotating the fibers. A plurality of optical fibers can rotate about one or both of the independent and offset rotational axes for establishing intersecting points on their respective closed curves.

Method of aligning opposing optical transmission paths in a mechanical

An improved M.times.N mechanical optical switch has opposing input and output optical fiber bundles disposed within offset ferrules forming an optical interface with the ferrules having sleeve members secured to one of the end faces thereof. The sleeve members have a hardness greater than the ferules and the optical fibers for forming respective recessed polished end face regions on the ferrules at the optical interface. Each ferrule is mounted in three-point kinematically correct V-groove holder allowing the optical fibers in each optical fiber bundle to traverse on a closed curve path during the rotation of the respective ferrules. Each V-groove holder has a spring clamp with first and second clamp members and wear resistant inserts secured to the clamp members and the sidewalls of the V-groove holder. The closed curve paths of each optical fiber in one of the optical fiber bundles intersect at least one of the closed curve paths of the optical fiber in the opposing optical fiber bundles. The intersection points of two opposing closed curve paths establish the optimum positioning locations for two opposing fibers. Offsetting the axes of rotation of the opposing optical fiber bundles and mounting the bundles in a three-point kinematically correct holder produces a mechanical optical switch having superior cycle-to-cycle repeatability, long term repeatability, and absolute alignment using loosely toleranced components.

Mechanical optical switch

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, OR, United States of America

Steve U Reinhold