Abstract: A controlled-impedance cable assembly for removably attaching a controlled-impedance cable to a surface of a device. Signal contacts are attached to signal conductors of cables and ground members are coupled to shields of the cables. Ends of the signal conductors and of elongated appendages extending from the ground members are positioned to make a pressure contact to pads and ground lands on the surface. Pressure to make those contacts may come from deflection of the ends of the signal conductors and elongated ground appendages or from a spring. The signal contacts and elongated appendages may be positioned to provide an impedance matching an impedance with the cables.

Abstract: A cable termination that enables the attachment of SMA connectors to controlled-impedance cables with a conductive foil wrap shield; for the separate ferrule embodiment, the sheath is stripped back on the cable, exposing the foil shield surrounding the dielectric; a ferrule is slid or clamped over the foil shield and bonded; the face of the ferrule is dressed so that the foil shield and dielectric are flush with the ferrule face and the signal conductor protrudes from the face this cable subassembly is installed in the boss of a housing that prevents movement of the ferrules relative to each other and so that each ferrule face is aligned with an opening in the boss through which an SMA connector barrel is attached to the ferrule a cover secures the cable subassembly in the housing.

Abstract: A controlled-impedance cable assembly for removably attaching a controlled-impedance cable to a surface of a device. Signal contacts are attached to signal conductors of cables and ground members are coupled to shields of the cables. Ends of the signal conductors and of elongated appendages extending from the ground members are positioned to make a pressure contact to pads and ground lands on the surface. Pressure to make those contacts may come from deflection of the ends of the signal conductors and elongated ground appendages or from a spring. The signal contacts and elongated appendages may be positioned to provide an impedance matching an impedance with the cables.

Abstract: An assembly for passing controlled impedance electrical signals between two different environments via feedthroughs in an electrically-conductive feedthrough block. The feedthrough has a signal coupling, a dielectric spacer surrounding the signal coupling, and a ground coupling surrounding the dielectric. The feedthrough is sealed to hermetically separate the two environments. One or both ends of the dielectric are recessed from the face of the block forming a gap. The gaps is filled with a potting material to form the hermetic seal.

Abstract: A controlled-impedance cable assembly for removably attaching a controlled-impedance cable to a surface of a device. Signal contacts are attached to signal conductors of cables and ground members are coupled to shields of the cables. Ends of the signal conductors and of elongated appendages extending from the ground members are positioned to make a pressure contact to pads and ground lands on the surface. Pressure to make those contacts may come from deflection of the ends of the signal conductors and elongated ground appendages or from a spring. The signal contacts and elongated appendages may be positioned to provide an impedance matching an impedance with the cables.

Abstract: An assembly for passing controlled impedance electrical signals between two different environments via feedthroughs in a feedthrough block. The feedthrough has a signal coupling, a dielectric surrounding the signal coupling, and a ground coupling surrounding the dielectric. An electrically insulating block has an electrically conductive signal link and discrete electrically conductive ground links surrounding the signal link. An electrically conductive block has a separate dielectric spacer and signal link through the spacer. The junctions between the block, links, and spacer are sealed to hermetically separate the two environments. In one method, the components are press fit, leaving no gap between adjacent components. In another method, potting material is forced into the junctions between components.

Abstract: A controlled-impedance cable assembly for removably attaching a controlled-impedance cable to a surface of a device. Signal contacts are attached to signal conductors of cables and ground members are coupled to shields of the cables. Ends of the signal conductors and of elongated appendages extending from the ground members are positioned to make a pressure contact to pads and ground lands on the surface. Pressure to make those contacts may come from deflection of the ends of the signal conductors and elongated ground appendages or from a spring. The signal contacts and elongated appendages may be positioned to provide an impedance matching an impedance with the cables.

Abstract: An assembly for connecting controlled-impedance cables to a PCB using a crescent-shaped connector that can be located much closer to the unit under test than those of the prior art. On the PCB, equal-length signal traces run from UUT contacts to signal pads that form an arc. All signal pads are surrounded by a ground land. The connector has an anchor block for permanently or removably securing the cables. The connector uses skewed coil contacts held within an electrically conductive plate. The signal contacts are captured in signal through apertures within insulating plugs in the plate. The ground contacts are captured in a ground through apertures. Each signal contact is electrically connected to a cable signal conductor and the ground contacts are electrically connected to the anchor block or ferrule. The connector is shaped so that the signal contacts trace an arc, so that they align with the signal pads.

Abstract: A controlled-impedance cable assembly for removably attaching a controlled-impedance cable to a surface of a device. Signal contacts are attached to signal conductors of cables and ground members are coupled to shields of the cables. Ends of the signal conductors and of elongated appendages extending from the ground members are positioned to make a pressure contact to pads and ground lands on the surface. Pressure to make those contacts may come from deflection of the ends of the signal conductors and elongated ground appendages or from a spring. The signal contacts and elongated appendages may be positioned to provide an impedance matching an impedance with the cables.

Abstract: A connector assembly for terminating cables to a PCB. An interface of compliant contacts within in a cylindrical disk of dielectric material and a boss with the cable attached reciprocate within a cylindrical sleeve with the interface toward the PCB. Springs bias the interface and boss toward the PCB. The sleeve, interface, boss/cable assembly, and springs are slid into a barrel that has a pair of pawls extending paraxially from the proximal end. The pawls combine with paraxial alignment fingers on the sleeve. In the unattached position, the circular alignment posts fit into round PCB holes. As the connector is pushed toward the PC, the sleeve contacts the PCB and stops, but the barrel continues until it is free to rotate to an attached position where the pawl fingers slide under the PCB. An optional locking mechanism locks the barrel in the attached position.

Abstract: A connector assembly for connecting cables to a planar electrical device that has a compression mount connector. In one embodiment, the connector reciprocates within a shroud and is spring-biased outwardly. A pair of latches are pivotally mounted to the shroud. In a second embodiment, the connector has compliant contacts and the latches are pivotally mounted to the connector. In a third embodiment, the latches are spring-mounted to the connector. Each latch has an arm that extends beyond the connector face. A hook at the end of the arm curves through an angle of greater than 90°. The hook face is offset from the edge of the planar electrical device and aligned with the connector face. When the connector assembly is connected to the planar electrical device, the connector spring bias pulls the hook faces against the planar electrical device to securely pull the connector face to the planar electrical device.

Abstract: A fixture for probing circuit boards and microcircuits. A guide plate provides indexing for positioning a probe assembly in one or two dimensions. The guide plate has two opposed mounting sides connected by one or two indexing sides and is mounted to the test unit by screws. The indexing sides and, optionally, the mounting sides have column mounting holes and column markings. A bridge mounts to the indexing sides with its column pointer aligned with the desired column marking. The bridge has row mounting holes and row markings. The probe assembly mounts to the bridge with its row pointer aligned with the desired row marking. Optionally, the bridge is part of the probe assembly and without row indexing elements to be used in one dimension. The probe assembly has a terminator platform and connector plate with electrical cable assemblies extending therebetween.

Abstract: A controlled-impedance cable termination that minimizes the effects of cable expansion and contraction on impedance matching. The terminator has an anchor block, an expansion/contraction compensator (ECC) attached to the cable, a compliant signal contact for making the electrical connection between the cable center conductor and the electrical device. The ECC has an electrically-conductive ferrule with a bore. The ferrule bore may be formed in the anchor block instead of in a separate ferrule. The cable shield is attached at the bore. A solid dielectric insert fits into the ferrule bore. An electrically-conductive center pin fits into a bore in the dielectric insert and has a bore that accepts the center conductor such that the center conductor can expand and contracting while maintaining electrical contact with the center pin. A plate abuts the anchor block face and holds the compliant contacts through apertures.

Abstract: An apparatus for terminating a controlled-impedance cable using compliant electrical contacts to provide an interface to another device. The terminator includes an anchor block for securing the cable. Optionally, the anchor block is electrically non-conductive. A conductive ferrule is installed on the cable shield and the cable end is dressed. The ferrule/cable assembly is installed in a through hole in the anchor block so the cable end is flush with the anchor block face. An insulating or conductive plate mounted to the anchor block holds the signal contact that electrically connects the center conductor to the device and optional ground contacts that electrically connect the ferrule to the device. The ground contacts surround the signal contact in a pattern that closely mimics the impedance environment of the cable. When using a conductive plate, the signal contact is insulated from the plate by an insulating centering plug or a non-conductive coating.

Abstract: An apparatus for terminating a controlled-impedance cable using compliant electrical contacts to provide an interface to another device. The terminator includes a conductive ground block for securing the cable by its ground shield and providing a common ground. Once the cable is anchored in the ground block, the block face and cable ends are dressed to make a reliable electrical contact with the compliant signal contact that electrically connects the cable center conductor to the device. An insulating or conductive plate mounted to the ground block holds the signal contact and optional ground contacts that electrically connect the ground block to the ground plane of the device. The ground contacts surround the signal contact in a pattern that closely mimics the impedance environment of the cable. When using a conductive plate, the signal contact is insulated from the plate by an insulating centering plug or a non-conductive coating.

Abstract: A compliant electrical contact (10) and an assembly (12) employing a plurality of the contacts (10). The contact (10) has several embodiments, all of which include a spring (20) with convolutions (22), a contact point (24) at each end, and a shunt (50) that is generally parallel to the spring (20) and that spans the convolutions (22) longitudinally. In one embodiment, one end of a single shunt strip (90) is fixedly attached near a contact point (24a) and the other end is slidably attached near the other contact point (24b). In another embodiment, the center of a single shunt strip (92) is fixedly attached at the center of the spring (20) and the two ends are slidably attached near the contact points (24). In another embodiment, one end of one shunt strip (94) is fixedly attached near one contact point (24a), one end of another shunt strip (96) is fixedly attached near the other contact point (24b).

Abstract: An apparatus for terminating a controlled-impedance cable using compliant electrical contacts to provide an interface to another device. The terminator includes a conductive ground block for securing the cable by its ground shield and providing a common ground. Once the cable is anchored in the ground block, the block face and cable ends are dressed to make a reliable electrical contact with the compliant signal contact that electrically connects the cable center conductor to the device. An insulating or conductive plate mounted to the ground block holds the signal contact and optional ground contacts that electrically connect the ground block to the ground plane of the device. The ground contacts surround the signal contact in a pattern that closely mimics the impedance environment of the cable. When using a conductive plate, the signal contact is insulated from the plate by an insulating centering plug or a non-conductive coating.

Abstract: An apparatus for terminating a controlled-impedance cable using compliant electrical contacts to provide an interface to another device. The terminator includes an anchor block for securing the cable. Optionally, the anchor block is electrically non-conductive. A conductive ferrule is installed on the cable shield and the cable end is dressed. The ferrule/cable assembly is installed in a through hole in the anchor block so the cable end is flush with the anchor block face. An insulating or conductive plate mounted to the anchor block holds the signal contact that electrically connects the center conductor to the device and optional ground contacts that electrically connect the ferrule to the device. The ground contacts surround the signal contact in a pattern that closely mimics the impedance environment of the cable. When using a conductive plate, the signal contact is insulated from the plate by an insulating centering plug or a non-conductive coating.

Abstract: An apparatus for terminating a controlled-impedance cable using compliant electrical contacts to provide an interface to another device. The terminator includes a conductive ground block for securing the cable by its ground shield and providing a common ground. Once the cable is anchored in the ground block, the block face and cable ends are dressed to make a reliable electrical contact with the compliant signal contact that electrically connects the cable center conductor to the device. An insulating or conductive plate mounted to the ground block holds the signal contact and optional ground contacts that electrically connect the ground block to the ground plane of the device. The ground contacts surround the signal contact in a pattern that closely mimics the impedance environment of the cable. When using a conductive plate, the signal contact is insulated from the plate by an insulating centering plug or a non-conductive coating.

Abstract: An apparatus for terminating a controlled-impedance cable using compliant electrical contacts to provide an interface to another device. The terminator includes an anchor block for securing the cable. Optionally, the anchor block is electrically non-conductive. A conductive ferrule is installed on the cable shield and the cable end is dressed. The ferrule/cable assembly is installed in a through hole in the anchor block so the cable end is flush with the anchor block face. An insulating or conductive plate mounted to the anchor block holds the signal contact that electrically connects the center conductor to the device and optional ground contacts that electrically connect the ferrule to the device. The ground contacts surround the signal contact in a pattern that closely mimics the impedance environment of the cable. When using a conductive plate, the signal contact is insulated from the plate by an insulating centering plug or a non-conductive coating.