Patents by Inventor Michael T. McTigue

Michael T. McTigue has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9857392
    Abstract: A single-ended test probe includes a probe body such as a coaxial cable, a signal tip integral with the core (signal conductor), to ground arm having a ground tip and mounted to the coaxial cable, and an electrically conductive ground member projecting outside the coaxial cable and electrically conductively connecting the ground arm to the shield (ground conductor) of the coaxial cable. The ground member may be located closer to the end of the cable than the location at which the ground arm is mounted to the cable to minimize inductance in the connection between the probe and a device under test. The ground member may also be a cam by which the span between the ground and signal tips can be adjusted. Also, the test probe may include a second ground arm that is detachable connectable to the probe body independently of the first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. McTigue, Jason Swaim
  • Patent number: 9797927
    Abstract: A browser probe has a probe body including a signal line, a nose of electrical insulating material integral with and projecting from the probe body, a pin supported by the probe body and electrically conductively connected to the signal line, a spring exerting a biasing force on the pin, an electrically conductive probe tip supported by the nose at a distal end of the nose remote from the probe body, and a plurality of discrete resistors interposed between the pin and the probe tip within the nose. The resistors are supported independently of another so as to be slidable within the nose. The probe tip is electrically conductively connected to the signal line via the resistors and the pin under the biasing force exerted by the spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael T. McTigue
  • Patent number: 9459290
    Abstract: An oscilloscope system includes a current probe, a processing unit and a display unit. The current probe includes a high and low gain signal paths for receiving simultaneously a signal of interest from a device under test (DUT), and to output amplified small and large current portions of the signal of interest, respectively. The processing unit receives first and second digitized data corresponding to the amplified small and large current portions output by the high and low gain signal paths, respectively, and processes the first and second digitized data for display as zoomed-in and zoomed-out waveform data, respectively. The display unit displays simultaneously a zoomed-in waveform in a first display window, based on the zoomed-in waveform data, and a zoomed-out waveform in a second display window, based on the zoomed-out waveform data, using the same time scale. The small current portion is less than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Johnson, Edward Vernon Brush, IV, Michael T. McTigue
  • Patent number: 9423422
    Abstract: A probe for a measurement instrument comprises an input terminal configured to receive an input signal from a device under test (DUT), an output terminal configured to transmit an output signal to a measurement instrument, and a clamping circuit disposed in a signal path between the input terminal and the output terminal and configured to clamp an internal probe signal between an upper clamping threshold and a lower clamping threshold to produce the output signal, wherein the clamping circuit operates with substantial gain and amplitude linearity throughout a range between the upper clamping threshold and the lower clamping threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Vernon Brush, IV, Michael T. McTigue, Kenneth W. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20160216320
    Abstract: A browser probe has a probe body including a signal line, a nose of electrical insulating material integral with and projecting from the probe body, a pin supported by the probe body and electrically conductively connected to the signal line, a spring exerting a biasing force on the pin, an electrically conductive probe tip supported by the nose at a distal end of the nose remote from the probe body, and a plurality of discrete resistors interposed between the pin and the probe tip within the nose. The resistors are supported independently of another so as to be slidable within the nose. The probe tip is electrically conductively connected to the signal line via the resistors and the pin under the biasing force exerted by the spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventor: Michael T. McTigue
  • Publication number: 20160178664
    Abstract: A single-ended test probe includes a probe body such as a coaxial cable, a signal tip integral with the core (signal conductor), to ground arm haying a ground tip and mounted to the coaxial cable, and an electrically conductive ground member projecting outside the coaxial cable and electrically conductively connecting the ground arm to the shield (ground conductor) of the coaxial cable. The ground member may be located closer to the end of the cable than the location at which the ground arm is mounted to the cable to minimize inductance in the connection between the probe and a device under test. The ground member may also be a cam by which the span between the ground and signal tips can be adjusted. Also, the test probe may include a second ground arm that is detachable connectable to the probe body independently of the first.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Michael T. McTigue, Jason Swaim
  • Patent number: 9316669
    Abstract: A measurement probe comprises at least one input port configured to receive an input signal generated in relation to a device under test (DUT), and an amplification unit configured to amplify the input signal with a first gain where the input signal has a first amplitude, and further configured to amplify the input signal with a second gain lower than the first gain where the input signal has a second amplitude greater than the first amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. McTigue, Kenneth W. Johnson, Edward Vernon Brush, IV
  • Publication number: 20150002136
    Abstract: A measurement probe comprises at least one input port configured to receive an input signal generated in relation to a device under test (DUT), and an amplification unit configured to amplify the input signal with a first gain where the input signal has a first amplitude, and further configured to amplify the input signal with a second gain lower than the first gain where the input signal has a second amplitude greater than the first amplitude.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Michael T. McTigue, Kenneth W. Johnson, Edward Vernon Brush, IV
  • Publication number: 20140320157
    Abstract: A probe for a measurement instrument comprises an input terminal configured to receive an input signal from a device under test (DUT), an output terminal configured to transmit an output signal to a measurement instrument, and a clamping circuit disposed in a signal path between the input terminal and the output terminal and configured to clamp an internal probe signal between an upper clamping threshold and a lower clamping threshold to produce the output signal, wherein the clamping circuit operates with substantial gain and amplitude linearity throughout a range between the upper clamping threshold and the lower clamping threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Vernon BRUSH, IV, Michael T. MCTIGUE, Kenneth W. JOHNSON
  • Publication number: 20140320145
    Abstract: An oscilloscope system includes a current probe, a processing unit and a display unit. The current probe includes a high and low gain signal paths for receiving simultaneously a signal of interest from a device under test (DUT), and to output amplified small and large current portions of the signal of interest, respectively. The processing unit receives first and second digitized data corresponding to the amplified small and large current portions output by the high and low gain signal paths, respectively, and processes the first and second digitized data for display as zoomed-in and zoomed-out waveform data, respectively. The display unit displays simultaneously a zoomed-in waveform in a first display window, based on the zoomed-in waveform data, and a zoomed-out waveform in a second display window, based on the zoomed-out waveform data, using the same time scale. The small current portion is less than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Johnson, Edward Vernon Brush, IV, Michael T. McTigue
  • Publication number: 20130106401
    Abstract: A system comprises an oscilloscope and an oscilloscope probe having a status indicator. The status indicator is located on a probe head of the oscilloscope probe and is configured to convey information to a user to indicate at least one characteristic of the signal. In certain embodiments, the status indicator comprises a light or a screen to convey signal related information to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kenneth W. JOHNSON, Michael T. MCTIGUE
  • Patent number: 7102370
    Abstract: A micro-browser has pair of rods each rod entering a corresponding bore in a sleeve that retains them, and that may itself be carried by a grip shaped to be rotated between a thumb and a finger. The edge of a small circuit board is soldered at the distal end of the rod. One of the rods is allowed to rotate within its bore in the sleeve, while the other is held stationary by a notch in the sleeve. The rotatable rod has a captive spring that resists the force of probe contact. Each board carries a coupling network connected to a short sharp probe tip bent downward away from the plane of its board, allowing the distance between the probe tips to be a function of the amount of rotation. The other end of each coupling network is coupled to a short length of a respective 50 ? coaxial cable that passes through an axial slot in the grip to enter an amplifier pod that drives a main cable leading to test equipment. The rods may be held within the bores by friction created by slight bends in the rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James E. Cannon, David J. Dascher, Michael T. McTigue, Stuart O. Hall
  • Patent number: 7005868
    Abstract: A probe for connecting a device under test to a measurement device that corrects for dc errors and noise generated by the current flowing through the ground shield of a transmission line used by the probe. The probe identifies a voltage drop in the ground preferably using an additional line between the device under test and the measurement device. The signal provided to the measurement device is corrected based on the identified voltage drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael T. McTigue
  • Patent number: 6856126
    Abstract: A voltage probe includes a first signal lead configured to receive a first signal from a device under test, a first probe-tip network that is coupled to the first signal lead and that has a frequency response that includes a first transmission zero, a first compensation network that is coupled to the first probe-tip network and that has a frequency response that includes a first transmission pole, a second signal lead configured to receive a second signal from the device under test, a second probe-tip network that is coupled to the second signal lead and that has a frequency response that includes a second transmission zero, a second compensation network that is coupled to the second probe-tip network and that has a frequency response that includes a second transmission pole, and a differential amplifier circuit that is coupled to the first compensation network and to the second compensation network, and that is configured to provide a third signal that is responsive to the first signal and to the second sign
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. McTigue, Kenneth Rush, Bob Kimura, Michael J. Lujan
  • Patent number: 6831452
    Abstract: Systems and methods for wideband single-end probing of variably spaced probe points are provided. One such embodiment includes a probe housing. The probe housing at least partially surrounds a probe barrel. A probe barrel end cap extends from the probe barrel and at least partially surrounds a probe tip. The longitudinal axis of the probe tip is offset from the longitudinal axis of the probe barrel. A ground tip is adjacent to the probe tip and electrically connected to the probe barrel. Methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael T. McTigue
  • Patent number: 6806697
    Abstract: A probe for connecting a device under test to a measurement device that corrects for dc errors and noise generated by the current flowing through the ground shield of a transmission line used by the probe. The probe identifies a voltage drop in the ground preferably using an additional line between the device under test and the measurement device. The signal provided to the measurement device is corrected based on the identified voltage drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael T. McTigue
  • Publication number: 20040196021
    Abstract: A probe for connecting a device under test to a measurement device that corrects for dc errors and noise generated by the current flowing through the ground shield of a transmission line used by the probe. The probe identifies a voltage drop in the ground preferably using an additional line between the device under test and the measurement device. The signal provided to the measurement device is corrected based on the identified voltage drop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventor: Michael T. McTigue
  • Publication number: 20040140819
    Abstract: A voltage probe includes a first signal lead configured to receive a first signal from a device under test, a first probe-tip network that is coupled to the first signal lead and that has a frequency response that includes a first transmission zero, a first compensation network that is coupled to the first probe-tip network and that has a frequency response that includes a first transmission pole, a second signal lead configured to receive a second signal from the device under test, a second probe-tip network that is coupled to the second signal lead and that has a frequency response that includes a second transmission zero, a second compensation network that is coupled to the second probe-tip network and that has a frequency response that includes a second transmission pole, and a differential amplifier circuit that is coupled to the first compensation network and to the second compensation network, and that is configured to provide a third signal that is responsive to the first signal and to the second sign
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Inventors: Michael T. McTigue, Kenneth Rush, Bob Kimura, Michael J. Lujan
  • Patent number: 6725172
    Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring a characteristic of an analog signal are provided. A system for measuring a characteristic of an analog signal includes an analog to digital converter that is configured to convert an analog signal into a digital form that includes at least one digital data value, and logic that is configured to associate a data tag with the data value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael T. McTigue, Allen Montijo
  • Patent number: 6704670
    Abstract: Systems and methods for wideband active probing of devices and circuits in operation are provided. One such embodiment includes a probe amplifier housing that at least partially contains a probe amplifier circuitry. The probe amplifier circuitry and the probe housing are configured to be separately arranged and positioned from connected probing and signal monitoring apparatuses. Methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael T. McTigue