Abstract:
An adapter for attaching a connector having a plurality of pads for interfacing with a device under test. The adapter comprises a carrier having a plurality of voids formed therein in a pattern matching connections on the connector, said voids traversing from a first surface to a second surface of the carrier. At least one electrical component is embedded in at least one void, the at least one electrical component forms a first adapter pad on the first surface of the carrier and a second adapter pad on the second surface of the carrier. When the adapter is interposed between the connector and the device under test the electrical component becomes part of the circuit of the device under test and the connector.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Designers of test and measurement devices face a variety of challenges in creating cables and connectors that form probes for interfacing with a device under test (DUT). It is known to integrate components, such as R, RC, and RCR networks into the cable (just prior to the connector) to perform such functions as compensation, termination and pin redirection. Such integrated components, referred to herein as networks, should be non-intrusive on the measurement process and in the case of compensation networks should render the entire probe non-intrusive. It is quite difficult to integrate these networks in a completely non-intrusive manner and most known probes have some stub (or non-compensated) length. Further, many of the more successful designs have a mechanically intrusive shape which interferers with the testing procedure.  
           [0002]    In particular known cables with networks typically have stiff cable ends, due to the inclusion of a circuit board upon which the networks are mounted. Such configurations limit the usability of the probe. Further, as the network is positioned in the cable path a sizable stub exists comprising the cable connector and the target connector.  
           [0003]    In an ideal world, manufactures would include networks on the device under test. However, this is an unrealistic condition for test and measurement designers to impose upon their customers. Not only is the design generally outside the expertise of most customers, it adds cost to the device, something no supplier desires. Another solution is to require the connector manufacturers to design networks into the connector itself. For many of the same reasons, this is unlikely to happen.  
           [0004]    The Inventors of the present invention have determined a need for networks that can be easily integrated with standard connectors minimizing stub length while maximizing usability of the probe. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    An understanding of the present invention can be gained from the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is an orthogonal view of a connector adapter attached to a connector in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is an orthogonal view of a carrier in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of the carrier shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 a  is an orthogonal view of a network component in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 b  is an illustration of a network component in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 c  is a circuit diagram of the component shown in FIG. 4 b .  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is an orthogonal view of a connector adapter in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a side view of a connector adapter in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a side view of a connector adapter attached to a connector in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    Reference will now be made in detail to the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is an orthogonal view of a connector adapter  100  (“adapter  100 ”) attached to a connector  110  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the relevant arts that the adapter  100 , as illustrated in FIG. 1, is generally representative of such adapters and that any particular adapter may differ significantly from that shown in FIG. 1, particularly in the details of construction. As such, the adapter  100  is to be regarded as illustrative and exemplary and not limiting as regards the invention described herein or the claims attached hereto.  
         [0017]    The connector  110 , as illustrated, typifies a SAMTEC ASP-65067-01 connector.  
         [0018]    This specific connector is utilized by test and measurement devices marketed by AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC., assignee of the present application. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many other connectors exist and that the present invention can be suitably modified to interface with most such connectors. The connector  110  provides a series of pads  112  adapted to interface with pads on a device under test. The adapter  100  is soldered to the connector  110  and, as such, is interposed between the connector  110  and the device under test. Generally, the adapter  100  comprises a carrier  102  upon which components are mounted to form networks, for example compensation or termination networks.  
         [0019]    To preserve the functionality of the connector  110 , the adapter  100  replicates the pads  112  while interposing a network. In general, this is accomplished by machining a series of slots or holes  104  on the edge of carrier  102  and loading the slots with components, such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, and conductive bars (described herein below). The series of slots or holes  104  are aligned with the connections  112  on the connector  110  by at least one post  114  on the connector  110  and at least one slot  106  on the adapter  100 . Such alignment effectively interposes the components between the connector  110  and the device under test (not shown). Such an arrangement practically eliminates the stub length with minimal impact on the usability of the probe as a whole.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is an orthogonal view of a carrier  200  of a connection adapter  100  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The carrier  200  is provided with two series of slots  202  and  204  on opposing edges. Two alignment slots  206  and  208  are provided to mate with alignment pins on a connector. In this case, the alignment slots  206  and  208  and series of slots  202  and  204  are arranged to mate with pins on a SAMTEC ASP-65067-01 connector. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the carrier  200  is preferably 0.040 inches thick, 0.295 inches wide, and 1.231 inches long. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that these dimensions are only suggested dimensions suitable for use with an adapter designed to mate with a SAMTEC ASP-65067-01 connector.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of the carrier  200  shown in FIG. 2. In particular FIG. 3 shows details of slots  302   a  though  302   n  in the series of slots  202 . As used herein the letters appended to reference numerals are representative of a specific instance of a structure associated with the element number, with a “n” used to refer to a generic instance of the element or the series of elements as a whole. Preferably the slots  302   n  have a pitch (center to center) of 0.0197. Each slot  302   n  preferably has a width of 0.014 and extends into the carrier  200  to a depth of 0.024. In accordance with the dimensions of the SAMTEC ASP-65067-01 connector, the centerline of the slot  302   a  is 0.133 from the edge of the carrier  200 , while the centerline of the alignment slot  208  is 0.042 from the edge of the carrier  200 .  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 a  is an orthogonal view of a component  400  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this instance the component  400  is a conductive bar  400  to be inserted into any slot  302   n  (see FIG. 3) for which a shorted connection is desired. Based on the sample dimensions provided above, each conductive bar  400  preferably has a length of 0.049 (slightly thicker than the carrier  200  to form pads that mate with the connector  100  and the device under test) and a diameter of 0.013. Each conductive bar  400  will be simply glued or soldered into place in the slots  302   n  in the carrier  200 .  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 b  is an illustration of a component  402  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Component  402  is generally representative of a network of discrete circuit elements such as resistors, capacitors and inductors. In this case, the component  402  is an RCR network  402 . The RCR network  402  is particularly useful for the formation of compensation and termination networks, the design of which is outside the scope of the present invention. In general, the component  402  is formed of  0201  size discrete resistors and capacitors (and inductors if desired). The component  402  is glued into select slots  302   n . The entire assembly preferably has a height of 0.049 to create the necessary pads on either side of the carrier  102 .  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4 c  is a circuit diagram of the component  402  shown in FIG. 4 b . In the example shown in FIG. 4 b , a resistor  404  is soldered to another resistor  406  and a capacitor  408 . More specifically the resistor  406  is soldered, at joint  410 , to the capacitor  408  with the resistor  404  being soldered, at joint  412 , to both the resistor  406  and the capacitor  410 .  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5 is an orthogonal view of a connector adapter  100  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows a component  402   a  (an RCR) being inserted into a slot  302   a  of the carrier  200  and a component  400   z  (a conductive bar) being inserted into slot  302   z . The selection of which slots receive RCRs and which slots receive conductive bars is beyond the scope of this disclosure, but will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6 is a side view of a connector adapter  100  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As clearly shown in FIG. 6, the components  402   n  (only  402   a  being labeled for clarity) and  400   n  (only  400   a  being labeled for clarity) protrude from the surface of the carrier  200  to form conductive pads adapted to interconnect a connector and a device under test.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 7 is a side view of a connector adapter  100  attached to a connector in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The series of components  400  (only  400   a  being labeled for clarity) and  402  (only  402   a  being labeled for clarity) mate with the series of pads  112  on the connector  110 . The pads  112  are, in effect recreated on the surface of the adapter  100  opposite the connector  110 . Given that the preferred thickness of the adapter  100  is 0.049, the connecter  110  is raised only slightly from its normal position. Further, due to the embedding of selective component networks, designers may freely program the adapter for different functions and situations. If the adapter  100  is programmed for compensation, the overall probe will have an extremely short stub length small sacrificing only a small amount of height.  
         [0028]    Although one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.