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:
Feb. 29, 2000
Filed:
May. 01, 1998
Kenneth W Johnson, Colorado Springs, CO (US);
Thomas J Zamborelli, Colorado Springs, CO (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
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.