Microwave test connector and test method

Abstract

The present invention provides a microwave test connector and a test method, which belongs to the field of microwave test technology, and includes an SMA connector, an insulator and a needle core, wherein the SMA connector is provided with a first center hole, one end of the SMA connector is provided with an external thread, and the other end is provided with an elastic grounding probe, an elastic signal probe and a locking buckle for locking with a PCB substrate, when the locking buckle is locked, the elastic grounding probe and the elastic signal probe are squeezed and contacted by the PCB substrate; the insulator is arranged in the first center hole, and the insulator is provided with a second center hole coaxial with the first center hole; the needle core is embedded in the second center hole, one end of the needle core is provided with a first needle groove for connecting a plug-in SMA interface, and the other end is provided with a second needle groove for installing the elastic signal probe, and one end of the elastic signal probe is installed in the second needle groove. The microwave test connector provided by the present invention can achieve non-destructive testing, shorten the test time, and improve the accuracy of the test.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of microwave testing, and more specifically, relates to a microwave testing connector and a testing method. Background Art

[0002] PCB substrate is a signal transmission carrier often used in microwave products. After the components are assembled on the PCB substrate, its preliminary performance needs to be tested and analyzed. When it meets the requirements, it is then installed in a package or box and the next step of assembly is carried out.

[0003] The traditional microwave test method for PCB substrates requires that the PCB substrate to be tested be installed in the test box, and the connector for testing be fixed to the test box by screwing or welding, and then the test connector is connected to the tested port on the PCB substrate by welding or gold-plating. Another method is to weld a section of cable with a connector on the PCB substrate to test the performance of the PCB substrate.

[0004] These testing methods require the design of a test box, which requires a long test cycle, high test cost, and complex process. At the same time, the test carrier is welded or spot welded, which makes it impossible to achieve non-destructive testing, and the reusability of test fixtures and joints is poor. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a microwave test connector, aiming to solve the problems of complex test methods, inability to perform non-destructive testing, and poor connector reuse rate.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: to provide a microwave test connector, including: an SMA connector, an insulator and a needle core, the SMA connector is provided with a first center hole, one end of the SMA connector is provided with an external thread, and the other end is provided with an elastic grounding probe, an elastic signal probe and a locking buckle for locking with a PCB substrate, when the locking buckle is locked, the elastic grounding probe and the elastic signal probe are squeezed and contacted by the PCB substrate; the insulator is arranged in the first center hole, and the insulator is provided with a second center hole coaxial with the first center hole; the needle core is embedded in the second center hole, one end of the needle core is provided with a first needle groove for connecting a plug-in SMA interface, and the other end is provided with a second needle groove for installing the elastic signal probe, and one end of the elastic signal probe is installed in the second needle groove.

[0007] As another embodiment of the present application, a spring is provided in the second needle groove, the elastic signal probe is inserted in the spring, and the elastic signal probe is provided with a step for squeezing the spring.

[0008] As another embodiment of the present application, the first center hole is a stepped hole, and the outer surface of the insulator is provided with a step that matches the stepped hole.

[0009] As another embodiment of the present application, the large end of the insulator is located at one end of the external thread of the SMA connector.

[0010] As another embodiment of the present application, the end of the SMA connector is also provided with a third needle groove for installing the elastic grounding probe, a spring is provided in the third needle groove, the elastic grounding probe is inserted in the spring, and a step is provided on the elastic grounding probe for squeezing the spring.

[0011] As another embodiment of the present application, the locking buckle includes a locking column connected to the SMA connector and an introduction column arranged at the end of the locking column, and the diameter of the introduction column is larger than the diameter of the locking column.

[0012] As another embodiment of the present application, the number of locking buckles is two, which are symmetrically arranged with the second center hole as the center.

[0013] As another embodiment of the present application, the elastic signal probe is arranged at the center of the other end of the SMA connector, the elastic grounding probe is arranged around the elastic signal probe, and the locking buckle is arranged on the outside of the elastic grounding probe.

[0014] As another embodiment of the present application, a flange is provided at one end of the SMA connector for mounting a locking buckle, and the locking buckle is arranged on the end surface of the flange.

[0015] The present invention also includes a testing method based on the microwave test connector, the testing method comprising:

[0016] The SMA connector is threadedly connected to the SMA interface of the test equipment;

[0017] The locking buckle is first passed through the slideway, and then slid into the clamping hole to be clamped with the PCB substrate;

[0018] The elastic grounding probe and the elastic signal probe are pressed and contacted by the PCB substrate, and are in close contact with the PCB substrate;

[0019] Start the test equipment and test the PCB substrate.

[0020] The beneficial effect of the microwave test connector provided by the present invention is that: compared with the prior art, the microwave test connector of the present invention firstly sets a connected slideway and a card hole on the PCB substrate to be tested. During the test, the locking buckle is first passed through the slideway, and then slides into the card hole to be clamped with the PCB substrate; at this time, the elastic grounding probe and the elastic signal probe are squeezed and contacted by the PCB substrate and are in close contact with the PCB substrate; the test equipment is started to test the PCB substrate, and after the test is completed, the locking buckle is slid from the card hole to the slideway, and then the locking buckle is separated from the PCB substrate, and the SMA connector and the SMA interface are unscrewed, and the connector can be reused.

[0021] By utilizing the microwave test connector provided by the present invention, it is only necessary to connect one end of the connector to the corresponding interface of the test equipment, and the other end of the connector can be passed through the PCB substrate. There is no need to weld the test carrier, and there is no need to use a test fixture. The connector has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, has a low manufacturing cost, and can be reused. Moreover, since there is no welding, non-destructive testing can be achieved, the test time can be shortened, and the test accuracy can be improved. The connector is an installation-free, lockable, fast and efficient connector method for solving board-level high-frequency microwave signal testing, and is particularly suitable for fast installation and testing of SMA connectors and PCB substrates. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a microwave test connector provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the side view structure of the microwave test connector provided;

[0025] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a microwave test connector provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the front view of the structure of the microwave test connector connected to the PCB substrate shown;

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a microwave test connector connected to a PCB substrate;

[0028] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The structural schematic diagram of the PCB substrate is shown.

[0029] In the figure: 1. SMA connector; 2. insulator; 3. first needle slot; 4. needle core; 5. spring; 6. elastic signal probe; 7. elastic grounding probe; 8. locking buckle; 9. flange; 10. PCB substrate; 11. slideway; 12. card hole; 13. transmission line. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0031] Please also read Figures 1 to 3 , the microwave test connector provided by the present invention is now described. The microwave test connector comprises an SMA connector 1, an insulator 2 and a needle core 4, the SMA connector 1 is provided with a first center hole, one end of the SMA connector 1 is provided with an external thread, and the other end is provided with an elastic grounding probe 7, an elastic signal probe 6 and a locking buckle 8 for locking with a PCB substrate 10, when the locking buckle 8 is locked, the elastic grounding probe 7 and the elastic signal probe 6 are squeezed and contacted by the PCB substrate 10; the insulator 2 is arranged in the first center hole, and the insulator 2 is provided with a second center hole coaxial with the first center hole; the needle core 4 is embedded in the second center hole, one end of the needle core 4 is provided with a first needle groove 3 for connecting the plug-in SMA interface, and the other end is provided with a second needle groove for installing the elastic signal probe 6, and one end of the elastic signal probe 6 is installed in the second needle groove.

[0032] Compared with the prior art, the microwave test connector provided by the present invention is characterized in that a communicating slideway 11 and a clamping hole 12 are firstly arranged on a PCB substrate 10 to be tested. During testing, a locking buckle 8 is first passed through the slideway 11, and then slid into the clamping hole 12 to be clamped with the PCB substrate 10. At this time, the elastic grounding probe 7 and the elastic signal probe 6 are squeezed and contacted by the PCB substrate 10, and are in close contact with the PCB substrate 10. The test equipment is started to test the PCB substrate 10. After the test is completed, the locking buckle 8 is slid from the clamping hole 12 into the slideway 11, and then the locking buckle 8 is separated from the PCB substrate 10, and the SMA connector 1 and the SMA interface are unscrewed. The connector can be reused.

[0033] By utilizing the microwave test connector provided by the present invention, it is only necessary to connect one end of the connector to the corresponding interface of the test equipment, and the other end of the connector can be passed through the PCB substrate 10. There is no need to weld the test carrier, and no need to use a test fixture. The structure is simple, the production is easy, the production cost is low, and it can be reused. Moreover, since there is no welding, non-destructive testing can be achieved, the test time can be shortened, and the test accuracy can be improved. The connector is an installation-free, lockable, fast and efficient solution to board-level high-frequency microwave signal testing, and is particularly suitable for fast installation and testing of SMA connectors and PCB substrates 10.

[0034] The insulator 2 may be a polytetrafluoroethylene medium, and other insulating materials may also be used according to the application frequency. The insulator 2 is in close contact with the inner wall of the first center hole. The needle core 4 is in close contact with the second center hole on the insulator 2.

[0035] As a specific implementation of the microwave test connector provided by the present invention, please refer to Figure 1 A spring 5 is provided in the second needle groove, and an elastic signal probe 6 is inserted in the spring 5. A step for squeezing the spring 5 is provided on the elastic signal probe 6. When the elastic signal probe 6 and the elastic grounding probe 7 are in contact with and squeezed with the PCB substrate 10, close contact between the probe and the PCB substrate 10 can be achieved. The elastic signal probe 6 and the elastic grounding probe 7 adopt an elastic contact method, and the probe size can be expanded and contracted within a certain range, which can adapt to different thicknesses of the PCB substrate 10. Among them, the needle core 4 is made of metal and the surface is gold-plated. The needle groove referred to in this article can also be called a blind hole. The signal probe slides with the inner wall of the second needle groove.

[0036] As a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 1 The first center hole is a stepped hole, and the outer surface of the insulator 2 is provided with a step that matches the stepped hole. The step matches to limit the insulator 2.

[0037] As a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, refer to Figure 1 The large end of the insulator 2 is located at one end of the external thread of the SMA connector 1 .

[0038] As a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, the end of the SMA connector 1 is further provided with a third pin slot for installing an elastic grounding probe 7, a spring is provided in the third pin slot, the elastic grounding probe 7 is inserted in the spring, and a step for squeezing the spring is provided on the elastic grounding probe 7. The grounding probe is slidably matched with the third pin slot.

[0039] As a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3The locking buckle 8 includes a locking column connected to the SMA connector 1 and an introduction column arranged at the end of the locking column, and the diameter of the introduction column is larger than the diameter of the locking column. A slideway 11 and a card hole 12 are provided on the PCB substrate 10, and the inner diameter of the slideway 11 is larger than the inner diameter of the card hole 12. The introduction column is first inserted from the slideway 11 until the locking column enters the slideway 11, and then the locking column is slid into the card hole 12, and one side of the introduction column can be in contact with one side of the PCB substrate 10. At this time, the other side of the PCB substrate 10 squeezes the elastic signal probe 6 and the elastic grounding probe 7 to keep the signal unobstructed.

[0040] As a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, refer to Figures 1 to 5 There are two locking buckles 8, which are symmetrically arranged with the second center hole as the center. Two locking buckles 8 are designed around the connector, and holes 12 and slideways 11 with different apertures are designed on the PCB substrate 10. After the connector passes through the PCB substrate 10, it is locked and fixed by rotation. The probe adopts a round head design to ensure that the sliding type of the connector does not damage the PCB substrate 10. When it slides to the corresponding position, it cooperates with the locking buckle 8, and the elastic probe is forced to bounce up to ensure good contact of the signal.

[0041] Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The microwave signal is transmitted by a microwave probe, in the middle is an elastic signal probe 6 for microwave signal transmission, and four elastic grounding probes 7 are designed around the microwave probe to form a coaxial structure for the microwave signal. Figure 3 The probe adopts a round head design to ensure that the connector sliding does not damage the PCB carrier, and two locking buckles 8 are designed around the grounding probe for installation-free locking and fixing.

[0042] As a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The elastic signal probe 6 is arranged at the center of the other end of the SMA connector 1, the elastic grounding probe 7 is arranged around the elastic signal probe 6, and the locking buckle 8 is arranged on the outside of the elastic grounding probe 7. The microwave signal is transmitted by the elastic signal probe 6, and a plurality of grounding probes are designed around the elastic signal probe 6 to form a coaxial structure for the microwave signal. The coaxial structure can ensure the integrity of signal transmission and increase the use frequency of the connector.

[0043] As a specific implementation of the embodiment of the present invention, refer to Figures 1 to 5 One end of the SMA connector 1 where the locking buckle 8 is installed is provided with a flange 9, and the locking buckle 8 is arranged on the end surface of the flange 9. The flange 9 and the SMA connector 1 are made in one piece.

[0044] The present invention also includes a test method based on the microwave test connector, see Figures 4 to 6 , the test method comprises:

[0045] The SMA connector 1 is threadedly connected to the SMA interface of the test equipment;

[0046] The locking buckle 8 is first passed through the slideway 11, and then slid into the clamping hole 12 to be clamped with the PCB substrate 10;

[0047] The elastic grounding probe 7 and the elastic signal probe 6 are pressed and contacted by the PCB substrate 10, and are in close contact with the PCB substrate 10;

[0048] Start the test equipment to test the PCB substrate 10;

[0049] After the test, the locking buckle 8 first slides from the clamping hole 12 into the slideway 11, and then the connector is separated from the PCB substrate 10.

[0050] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A microwave test connector, characterized in that: include: An SMA connector, wherein the SMA connector is provided with a first center hole, one end of the SMA connector is provided with an external thread, and the other end is provided with an elastic grounding probe, an elastic signal probe and a locking buckle for locking with a PCB substrate, when the locking buckle is locked, the elastic grounding probe and the elastic signal probe are squeezed and contacted by the PCB substrate; The locking buckle comprises a locking column connected to the SMA connector and an introduction column arranged at the end of the locking column, wherein the diameter of the introduction column is larger than the diameter of the locking column; a connecting slideway and a card hole are arranged on the PCB substrate, wherein the inner diameter of the slideway is larger than the inner diameter of the card hole; the introduction column is first inserted from the slideway until the locking column enters the slideway, and then the locking column is slid into the card hole, so that one side of the introduction column can be in contact with one side of the PCB substrate, and the other side of the PCB substrate squeezes the elastic signal probe and the elastic grounding probe, thereby keeping the signal unobstructed; an insulator, the insulator being disposed in the first center hole, the insulator being provided with a second center hole coaxial with the first center hole; and The needle core is embedded in the second center hole, one end of the needle core is provided with a first needle groove for connecting to the SMA interface, and the other end is provided with a second needle groove for installing the elastic signal probe, and one end of the elastic signal probe is installed in the second needle groove.

2. The microwave test connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: A spring is arranged in the second needle groove, the elastic signal probe is inserted in the spring, and a step for pressing the spring is arranged on the elastic signal probe.

3. The microwave test connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first center hole is a stepped hole, and the outer surface of the insulator is provided with a step that matches the stepped hole.

4. The microwave test connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The large end of the insulator is located at one end of the external thread of the SMA connector.

5. The microwave test connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the SMA connector is also provided with a third needle groove for installing the elastic grounding probe, a spring is provided in the third needle groove, the elastic grounding probe is inserted in the spring, and a step for squeezing the spring is provided on the elastic grounding probe.

6. The microwave test connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two locking buckles, which are symmetrically arranged with the second center hole as the center.

7. The microwave test connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic signal probe is arranged at the center of the other end of the SMA connector, the elastic grounding probe is arranged around the elastic signal probe, and the locking buckle is arranged on the outside of the elastic grounding probe.

8. The microwave test connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the SMA connector mounting locking buckle is provided with a flange, and the locking buckle is arranged on the end surface of the flange.

9. A method for testing a microwave test connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The test method includes: The SMA connector is threadedly connected to the SMA interface of the test equipment; The locking buckle is first passed through the slideway, and then slid into the clamping hole to be clamped with the PCB substrate; The elastic grounding probe and the elastic signal probe are pressed and contacted by the PCB substrate, and are in close contact with the PCB substrate; Start the test equipment and test the PCB substrate.

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