The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 08, 1989
Filed:
Jun. 27, 1988
Keith E Jones, Aloha, OR (US);
Warren K Harwood, Vancouver, WA (US);
Cascade Microtech, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US);
Abstract
A launcher having an outer conductor and a tapered central contact pin within a bore of the outer conductor connects coaxial transmission lines with microstrip transmission lines. The launcher, when used with a microstrip transmission line having a specific dielectric substrate thickness, provides matching of both the characteristic impedance and the electro-magnetic field configuration. The launcher also may be used effectively with microstrip transmission lines having different substrate thicknesses An adjustable stop transversely positions the upper surface of the microstrip transmission line relative to the launcher's outer conductor to counteract capacitive discontinuities caused by different substrate thicknesses. Although such adjustments flex the central contact pin transversely, thus changing the launcher's characteristic impedance, the launcher provides better overall matching between the two types of transmission lines. The contact tip of the pin has a cylindrical contact surface coaxial with the pin, thus forming a repeatable line contact with the upper conductor of the microstrip transmission line enabling consistent results. The bore of the outer conductor is at an angle with respect to the coaxial transmission line jack, allowing the tapered pin to extend coaxially with the jack so that the pin can be drilled and tapped on its center axis, simplifying its mass production.