Patent · US Expired

Static-free interrogating connector for electric components

US4954087A · kind A · utility

138Cited by
4References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 2, 1990
Grant dateSep 4, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 2, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01R31/08
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An improved connector for connection to and identification and testing of electric components such as integrated circuits is described which features a number of spring biased contact elements normally in contacting relation with a shorting bar. When a particular component is placed in a specified physical relation to the connector, a combination of exposed electrical contacts and nonconductive elements on the component to be tested displace specified ones of the contact members away from the shorting bars, providing a connection pattern which can be detected. At the same time, test signals can be applied to the electric component to be tested. The circuit may be identified and its specific parameters identified and characterized in a single operation according to the invention. Advantageously, the shorting bar is grounded so that any static charge on the component to be tested is grounded before the contact elements are displaced from the shorting bar.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.