Hewlett-packard Company

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Thomas J Zamborelli

Kenneth William Johnson

Steven D Draving

Michael J Steen

Werner Haussmann

Larry Bartosch

Brian W Kerr

An improved probe for probing high speed, low impedance bus structures. The probe comprises an AC termination portion and an RCR filter. In a first embodiment, the AC termination portion comprises a resistor and capacitor in series. The time constant formed by the AC termination portion is sufficiently larger than the time it takes a signal to travel through the cable of the probe. The RCR filter comprises two resistors in series disposed between the AC termination resistor and ground. A capacitor is connected in parallel to the first resistor in order to achieve a flat pulse response from DC through to high frequencies.

Electronic probe for measuring high impedance tri-state logic circuits

Disclosed is a process to manufacture an interposer which includes an interposer socket assembly to use in probing dense pad arrays that minimizes the associated extraneous pin loading and cross-talk caused by a probe tip. The process comprises the steps of: mounting a number of resistors onto a number of predetermined positions in a pad array on an interposer board; inserting a number of interposer pins of a pin socket into the pads of the pad array on the interposer board, wherein the ends of the interposer pins protrude through the interposer board; placing a solder preform around the ends of the interposer pins; and, heating the solder preforms in a solder re-flow oven to solder the interposer pins to the respective pads of the pad array.

Process for assembling an interposer to probe dense pad arrays

An edge connector interposing probe (100) for testing the operation of two electrical assemblies which normally couple to one another via edge connectors. The interposing probe has a male edge connector (208/210) which fits into an edge connector of the first assembly, and a female edge connector (102) which receives an edge connector of the second assembly. Solder tails (200, 202) of the interposing probe's female edge connector are coupled to traces (208, 210) of the interposing probe's male edge connector, and to transmission paths (204) in one or more flex circuits (106). Signals flowing between the interposing probe's edge connectors are sensed by the transmission paths of the flex circuit(s) and routed to test connectors (108, 110, 112, 114, 116). Probe tip resistors (422, 424) can be coupled to the transmission paths at points which are proximate to the interposing probe's edge connectors. In this manner, the transmission paths behave as transmission lines, and sensed signals are transmitted to the interposing probe's test connectors with very little degradation. The flex circuits allow the probe tip resistors to be placed closer to the interposing probe's edge connectors than was previously possible. The manner in which the interposing probe's edge connectors and flex circuits are coupled shortens the series length introduced between the edge connectors of the first and second electrical assemblies. The flexibility of the flex circuits allows the interposing probe to be used in crowded circuit environments.

Edge connector interposing probe

A probe adapter may comprise an elongate body having a nose section, a tail section, and a generally U-shaped elongate slot for receiving a probe. The U-shaped elongate slot has a front end that is located a space distance from the nose section of the elongate body. A probe tip assembly mounted to the nose section of the elongate body is adapted to engage the signal input terminal of the probe so that the signal input terminal of the probe is electrically connected to the probe tip assembly when the probe is positioned within the elongate slot.

Method and apparatus for using a miniature probe as a hand held probe

A probe adapter providing the capability to test integrated circuit (IC) packages is presented. The probe adapter comprises a mechanical assembly and a probe wire assembly. The mechanical assembly houses the probe wire assembly and facilitates attachment of the probe adapter to the IC under test. The mechanical assembly also ensures correct alignment of the probe wire assembly with the leads of the IC package. The mechanical assembly comprises an alignment member, a guide, a frame and an adapter printed circuit board (PCB). The probe wire assembly comprises a plurality of probe wires, the plurality of probe wires being placed into a plurality of apertures along the perimeter of the guide. One end of the probe wire is placed into electrical contact with a IC package lead, the other end being electrically attached to a tester via the adapter PCB.

Probing adapter for testing IC packages

A passive test probe apparatus 100 which provides high impedance and a relatively flat frequency response over a wide bandwidth. The probe apparatus 100 uses standard, non-lossy coaxial cable 130. The probe apparatus 100 employs a low capacitance probe tip 102 designed to minimize stray probe tip capacitance. The probe apparatus 100 uses a front-end (tip) resistor R.sub.t in series with a conventional RC tip network 240. The tip resistor R.sub.t provides two functions: First, it establishes a minimum input impedance for the probe input, and secondly, it provides approximately 80% of the high frequency attenuation when working into the cable characteristic impedance. In addition, a technique is described for determining an optimum length of coaxial cable 130 to be used in the probe apparatus 100. When the cable length is selected in accordance with the present invention, the crossover dip and other transmission line signal distortion effects are minimized.

Wide bandwidth passive probe

A modification of a woven cable (wire and fabric woven together to form a flat ribbon cable) assembly, in which the signal wires of the transmission lines are replaced with solderable resistance wires, thereby providing an economical method of building multiple lossy transmission lines.

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Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Thomas J Zamborelli