Patent ID: 7362112

Claim:
A signal acquisition probe comprising: a probing tip assembly disposed within a housing formed from a semi-rigid coaxial cable having a probing tip at one end; a first compressible element disposed within the housing applying a first pre-loaded compressive force to the probing tip assembly and a first increasing compressive force by axial movement of the housing relative to the probing tip assembly; a second compressible element positioned around the semi-rigid coaxial cable of the probing tip assembly and disposed in the housing between opposing transverse walls with a pressure plate positioned on the semi-rigid coaxial cable and against one end of the second compressible element with the second compressible element being compressed between the opposing transverse walls of the housing to generate a second pre-loaded compressive force; and an actuator having a base plate positioned on the semi-rigid coaxial cable engaging the pressure plate positioned against the second compressible element providing the second pre-loaded compressive force to the probing tip assembly after the first compressible element provides the increasing compressive force to the probing tip assembly with the second compressible element providing a second increasing compressive force by further axial movement of the housing relative to the probing tip assembly.