Patent Publication Number: US-2013240247-A1

Title: Apparatus and method for a conductive elastomer on a coaxial cable or a microcable to improve signal integrity probing

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and a method for improving signal integrity probing. In particular, the present disclosure provides for improving signal integrity probing by providing a conductive elastomer on a cable or a microcoaxial cable. 
     2. The Related Art 
     Signal integrity probing requires good electrical connections. However there are problems that prevent good electrical connections from being formed with the contact surface to be probed. The contact surface that is the subject of the probing may typically have oxides, oils or debris formed on its surface. Such deposits will make it difficult if not impossible to effect a good probing contact and thus impair a good electrical connection. It would be desirable to effect good electrical connections for improved signal integrity probing. 
     SUMMARY 
     It would be desirable to provide a method and structure for improving signal integrity that avoids the drawbacks of the aforementioned problems. This is accomplished by providing a method and structure for improving signal integrity probing by threading a coaxial or microcoaxial cable, having a conductive elastomer, thereon through an optional alignment substrate where the cable is used to support or align the cable or an array of cables. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a first embodiment of the present disclosure in which a coaxial or micro coaxial cable extends through an alignment substrate (which can be either a conductive or non-conductive substrate) and conductive elastomers are provided to the center conductor region in a column near where the where the shield of the cable and the top surface of the substrate meet; and 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the present disclosure in which a coaxial or micro coaxial cable extends through an alignment substrate (which can be either a conductive or non-conductive substrate) and conductive elastomers are provided to the center conductor region in a column near where the where the shield of the cable and the top surface of the substrate meet and also applied to the bottom side of the substrate. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a first embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment a coaxial cable or a microcable  5  is threaded through an optional alignment substrate  10 . This substrate  10  supports and aligns the cable or an array of cables  5 . The substrate  10  is preferably formed as either an electrically conductive metal or as an insulator. The cable  5  has an outer metallic shell  6 . The metallic shell  6  remains in intimate contact with the substrate  10  and is preferably soldered  8  to provide good electrical connection. 
     The cable  5  has a top side  8  that is preferably flush with the top side  9  of the substrate  10 . The cable  5  has a bottom side  11  that is preferably flush with a bottom side  12  of the substrate  10  or extends outward from the bottom side  12  of the substrate  10  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) and is free to accept a traditional connector or can be attached to an electronic assembly through any conventional techniques known in the art. 
     As seen in  FIG. 1 , a conductive elastomer  13  is applied to the center conductor region  19  (insulated from outer coaxial cables by coaxial dielectic  21 ) in a column  14 . This conductive elastomer  13  is preferably applied in the ground shielding region  15  where the shield of the cable  5  and the top surface  9  of the substrate  10  meet. These conductive elastomeric regions are preferably isolated from each other in order to prevent electrical shorting (as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Optionally a nonconductive substrate can be applied in the open areas on top  9  of the substrate  10  around the conductive elastomers  13  close enough to provide room for the elastomer  13  to expand when it is compressed (as seen in  FIG. 1  with compression stops  18 ) but will prevent it from over compression and damage. In  FIG. 1  a low contact resistance metal can be employed to form a pad  16  having sharp points or “aspirates”  17  that are formed on top  9  of the substrate  10  to help penetrate oxides, oils of debris that may form on the subject contact point that is intended to be probed. 
     As in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  illustrates a method and apparatus in which a low contact resistance metal can be employed to form a pad  16  having sharp points or “aspirates”  17  that are formed on top  9  of the substrate  10  to help penetrate oxides, oils or debris that may form on the subject contact point that is intended to be probed. In addition in the embodiment of  FIG. 2  this same structure and method for the top side  9  of the substrate  10  can also be used for the bottom side  12  of the substrate  10  to provide for a high speed, high band width connector. 
     While presently preferred embodiments have been described for the purposes of the disclosure, it is understood that numerous changes in the arrangement of apparatus parts can be made by those skilled in the art. Such changes are encompassed within the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.