Patent · US Expired

Probe assembly with controlled impedance spring pin or resistor tip spring pin contacts

US7116121B1 · kind B1 · utility

35Cited by
5References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 27, 2005
Grant dateOct 3, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 27, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01R13/2421
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Uncontrolled characteristic impedance along a spring biased pin probe assembly is avoided by providing a stepped shelf of ground plane that extends outward along the pin and toward the target signal. The length of outward extension is chosen such that even when there is only (or at least) an expected minimum amount of compression of the spring while producing and maintaining contact, the entire exposed portion of the pin is over the shelf, whose depth of step has been selected to produce a selected Z0 for the exposed pin that matches Z0 for existing transmission lines already within the probe assembly. The spring biased pin may be a resistor tip spring pin that includes a small resistor in its tip.

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