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Connector for Selectively Coupling an Electrical Load to a Device under Test

a technology for coupling electrical loads and devices, applied in the direction of coupling device connections, printed circuit testing, instruments, etc., can solve the problems of limiting the speed at which the probe can be used, affecting the system under test, and creating a stub on the probed circui

Inactive Publication Date: 2014-05-01
TEKTRONIX INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a connector that allows an electrical load to be connected to a device under test. The connector has a housing with an aperture that has one portion larger than the other. The housing is mounted on the device under test with the larger portion of the aperture facing the device. The connector has a planar body with a plurality of electrical contacts on one surface and a corresponding electrical contact on the device under test. A resilient member is positioned between the electrical load and the device under test, and a force is directed on the electrical load through the aperture of the housing to compress the resilient member and connect the electrical contacts. The connector may also have first and second recesses and tabs for securely attaching the housing to the device under test. The planar body may be made of insulating material or ceramic with the resistors formed thereon. The connector may also include flex circuits, enclosures with compressible spring contacts, elastomeric materials, or bumps. The technical effects of the invention are a reliable and flexible connection between the electrical load and the device under test, with improved contact and durability.

Problems solved by technology

One of the problems with making high speed measurements with a logic analyzer probe or a mixed signal oscilloscope probe is the probe interface that perturbs the system under test (DUT).
However, existing probing methods place input resistors approximately 0.100 inches from the DUT contact points of the circuit to be probed, creating a ‘stub’ on the probed circuit.
The length of the time delay in the compliant contact is one of the factors that limit the speed at which the probe can be used.
In addition, the edge wrap on the circuit board produces an edge that is somewhat rough and departs from planarity because of the process of routing and plating the laminated circuit board edge.

Method used

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  • Connector for Selectively Coupling an Electrical Load to a Device under Test
  • Connector for Selectively Coupling an Electrical Load to a Device under Test
  • Connector for Selectively Coupling an Electrical Load to a Device under Test

Examples

Experimental program
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second embodiment

[0036]FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the electrical load 10. In this embodiment the resistive load 12 is the same as described for FIG. 1. The electrical contact assembly 14 is formed of an elastomeric material 44 having electrically conductive elastomeric contacts 46 formed therein. The electrically conductive elastomeric contacts 46 are formed of electrical wires extending to opposing surfaces 48, 50 of the elastomeric material 44. The electrically conductive elastomeric contacts 46 exposed at the opposing surfaces 48, 50 correspond to the electrical contacts 26 of the resistive elements 24 exposed at the opposing surfaces 18, 20 of the planar body 16.

[0037]FIGS. 3A and 3B shows perspective top and bottom views of another resistive load 52 disposed on a planar body 54 that may be formed as a substrate using a ceramic material or the like. The planar ceramic substrate 54 has opposing surfaces 56, 58 with electrical contacts 60 formed on the opposing surfaces 56, 58. R...

third embodiment

[0038]FIG. 4 shows an exploded perspective view of the electrical load 10. In this embodiment the resistive load 52 is the same as described for FIGS. 3A and 3B. The electrical contact assembly 64 is formed of metal spring electrical contacts 66 disposed in a housing 68 with the ends of the metal spring electrical contacts extending from apertures 70 formed in the opposing surfaces 72, 74 of the electrical contact assembly 64. An example of a metal spring electrical contacts usable in the electrical contact assembly 64 are RC Spring Probes manufactured and sold by Ardent Concepts, Inc., Hampton Beach, N.H. Preferably, the free height of the metal spring electrical contact is 0.036 inches. The compressed height is 0.031 inches which is set by the thickness of the housing 68 of the electrical contact assembly 64. The metal spring electrical contacts 66 exposed at the opposing surfaces 72, 74 correspond to the electrical contacts 60 exposed at the opposing surfaces 56, 58 of the planar...

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PUM

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Abstract

A connector has a housing with an aperture formed therein having one portion larger than the other portion. The housing is mounted on the device under test with the housing positioned over a plurality of electrical contacts. An electrical load is positioned within the larger aperture of the housing and has a plurality of resistors disposed adjacent to an electrical contact assembly. A resilient member is positioned between the electrical load and the device under test such that a force directed on the electrical load compresses the resilient member to allow contact between a plurality of electrical contacts of the electrical contact assembly and the plurality of the electrical contacts on the device under test. Removing the force decompresses the resilient member and disconnects the plurality of contacts of the electrical contact assembly from the plurality of electrical contacts of the device under test.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]One of the problems with making high speed measurements with a logic analyzer probe or a mixed signal oscilloscope probe is the probe interface that perturbs the system under test (DUT). Generally, there are two types of probe interfaces, a connectorless probe interface and a connector probe interface. The connectorless probe interface has electrical contacts in a probe head that mate with corresponding electrical contacts mounted on the DUT, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,888,361 and 6,781,391, which are incorporated herein by reference. Connector type probe interfaces have a receptacle portion that is mounted on the DUT. The receptacle portion has electrical contacts that mate with corresponding electrical contacts on the DUT. A plug portion having electrical contacts corresponding to the electrical contacts of the receptacle portion is mounted on the probe head and mates with the receptacle portion.[0002]Both types of interfaces have unterm...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): G01R31/04
CPCG01R31/04G01R1/0416G01R31/2808G01R1/06772G01R1/07314H01R2201/20H01R12/716H01R13/635H01R13/6477H01R13/719G01R31/66
Inventor RINDER, KARL A.CLAYTON, NEIL C.BOOMAN, RICHARD A.
Owner TEKTRONIX INC