Browser Probe With Slidable Resistors For Bandwidth Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing test probes face challenges in establishing reliable, high-fidelity temporary electrical connections to circuit nodes for characterizing and troubleshooting electronic circuits, particularly due to issues with capacitance and durability, which affect bandwidth and resistance to flexing.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a test probe with a probe body, a signal line, and a probe tip assembly featuring a spring-loaded pin, a nose of insulating material, and discrete resistors that are slidable and connected in series to minimize end-to-end capacitance while maintaining durability, allowing for adjustable span and high-bandwidth connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If discrete resistors are used in the probe tip assembly, then bandwidth is enhanced and peaking is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The probe tip assembly is segmented into multiple discrete resistors (e.g., three 50-ohm resistors) arranged in series along the signal path. This segmentation distributes the total resistance (150 ohms) across multiple components, which reduces peaking and enhances bandwidth by minimizing capacitive effects that occur with concentrated resistance. Each resistor is independently mounted on the PCB within the nose assembly, allowing for optimized signal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Discrete resistors serve as intermediary elements positioned between the probe tip contact point and the main circuit board. These resistors act as mediators to control signal integrity by providing distributed resistance that compensates for capacitive effects in the probe assembly, thereby enhancing bandwidth and reducing peaking without requiring complex active circuitry.
2Ease of repair
If the probe tip assembly is made detachable, then ease of repair and manufacturing are improved, but reliability of electrical connection may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The probe tip assembly is designed as a detachable module that can be separated from the main probe body. The nose assembly containing the probe tip contact, discrete resistors, and associated circuitry forms a self-contained module that can be easily removed and replaced. This segmentation enables straightforward repair and manufacturing while maintaining reliable electrical connections through robust connector design.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable nose assembly allows for easy replacement of worn or damaged probe tips without discarding the entire probe. The modular design enables recovery and reuse of the main probe body, handle, and internal circuitry, while only the consumable nose assembly needs to be replaced, improving both ease of repair and cost-effectiveness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the resistors are made slidable within the nose, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The discrete resistors are mounted on the PCB within the nose assembly in a configuration that allows for adjustable positioning. This dynamic arrangement enables the resistors to be slid or repositioned along the signal path to optimize performance for different measurement applications. The PCB design includes mounting holes and traces that accommodate this adjustability while maintaining electrical integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The slidable resistor configuration allows for adjustment of electrical parameters such as resistance distribution and signal path length. By physically repositioning the resistors within the nose assembly, users can optimize the probe's electrical characteristics for different frequency ranges or measurement conditions, providing adaptability without requiring multiple fixed designs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces peaking, enhances bandwidth, and ensures reliable contact across a wide frequency range, with the ability to maintain connection integrity during flexing and easy assembly/disassembly, optimizing the probe's performance and durability.
Implementation Method 1
a spring exerting a biasing force on the pin
Data Source
AI summary
A browser probe has a probe body including a signal line, a nose of electrical insulating material integral with and projecting from the probe body, a pin supported by the probe body and electrically conductively connected to the signal line, a spring exerting a biasing force on the pin, an electrically conductive probe tip supported by the nose at a distal end of the nose remote from the probe body, and a plurality of discrete resistors interposed between the pin and the probe tip within the nose. The resistors are supported independently of another so as to be slidable within the nose. The probe tip is electrically conductively connected to the signal line via the resistors and the pin under the biasing force exerted by the spring.