Automatic probe ground connection checking techniques
AssigneeTektronix, Inc.
InventorsDaniel G. Knierim, William A. Hagerup, Barton T. Hickman, Ira G. Pollock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A test system can include a probe suitable to be coupled between a test measurement device and a device under test (DUT). The probe can include a signal input to receive an active signal from the DUT and a signal output to provide the active signal to the test measurement device. The probe can also include an input ground to connect to the DUT ground and an output ground to connect to the test measurement device ground. A probe ground connection checking device can automatically determine whether the probe ground connections to the DUT ground and test measurement device ground are solid.
Claims10
A method for checking the integrity of a first ground connection between an input ground of a probe and a ground of a device under test and a second ground connection between an output ground of the probe and a ground of a test measurement device, the method comprising:
- opening, using a switching mechanism, a probe ground path electrically coupled between the input ground and the output ground;
- inserting a direct current into the input ground;
- measuring a direct current (DC) resistance of a ground return path, the ground return path including at least a portion external to the probe;
- and
- determining the integrity of at least one of the first and second ground connections based on the measured DC resistance.
A method for checking the integrity of a first ground connection between an input ground of a probe and a ground of a device under test and a second ground connection between an output ground of the probe and a ground of a test measurement device, the method comprising:
- driving the input ground to a non-zero voltage by using a voltage source through a buffer amplifier disposed in a probe ground path electrically coupled between the input ground and the output ground;
- monitoring a behavior of the buffer amplifier;
- and
- determining the integrity of at least one of the first and second ground connections based on the behavior of the buffer amplifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.