Patent ID: 7358752

Claim:
A differential signal probe-differential signal launch structure, comprising: (A) a differential signal probe comprising: (i) a semi-rigid conductive outer housing; and (ii) a pair of signal pins disposed within and electrically insulated from each other and from the outer housing; (B) a signal launch comprising: (i) a printed circuit board, comprising: (a) a conductive ground pad disposed on the upper surface the printed circuit board; (b) a pair of spaced, horizontally extending signal conductors disposed within the printed circuit board; (c) a pair of signal vias having contacts disposed on the upper surface of the printed circuit board and electrically connected to a corresponding one of the pair of signal pins of the probe, (d) wherein the pair of signal vias extend vertically through the printed circuit board to contact a corresponding one of the pair of horizontally extending signal conductors; (e) a pair of horizontally extending ground plane conductors disposed within the printed circuit board; (f) wherein the pair of spaced, horizontally extending signal conductors is disposed between horizontally extending ground plane conductors; (g) a vertically extending ground via; (h) wherein the conductive pad is electrically connected to the horizontally ground plane conductors through the vertically extending ground via; and (C) wherein the conductive outer housing of the differential signal probe is disposed directly vertically above, on, and electrically connected to the conductive ground pad.