Jimmie D. Felps - Colorado Springs CO Brian L. Richardson - late of Port Richey FL Gerald R. Kinsley - Colorado Springs CO
Assignee:
Agilent Technologies, Inc. - Palo Alto CA
International Classification:
G01R 3102
US Classification:
324 725, 324754, 3241581
Abstract:
An electrical probe is provided for use with an electrical instrument, such as an oscilloscope. The probe includes a probe body, a sensing element affixed to the probe body for sensing an electrical parameter and a storage device containing probe information that uniquely identifies the probe. The probe information is electronically transferred from the storage device to the electrical instrument when the probe is connected to the electrical instrument. The electrical instrument stores calibration information that is associated with the probe. The electrical instrument uses the probe information received from the storage device in the probe to access the associated calibration information. The accessed calibration information is used to calibrate measurements made with the probe.
System And Method For Mating Electrical Connections
An electrical connection system, such as a Bayonet Niel-Concelman (BNC) connection system, includes two connector assemblies and enables electrical connections between the two connector assemblies to be established and maintained. The two connector assemblies respectively include a first connector and a second connector. One of the connector assemblies includes a contact pin, and the other connector assembly includes a mechanical support having a tapered recess. The first connector interlocks with the second connector, and the contact pin is received by the recess and engages the mechanical support, when the first and second connectors are interlocked. Because the recess is tapered, the contact pin is guided toward the center of the recess as the contact pin is pressed against the surface of the mechanical support exposed by the recess, making it easier to establish and maintain an electrical connection with the contact pin.
A housing carries a male push-lock precision BNC connector. The function of the BNC latch of the male connector carried therein is performed by a spring-biased lock ring captive in a housing and that fits snugly and concentrically over a male sleeve, resulting in a double shell of two rigidly attached cylindrical portions that are coaxial, coextensive, yet separated to accept a BNC female shell. The double shell is held captive by anchoring it to the inside of the housing. The male sleeve has a slot and/or cut-away portion to accept the forward travel of the bayonet pins, which, when the connector halves are engaging, extend beyond the thickness of the sleeve and into the region occupied by the lock ring. The lock ring has grooves having various portions that engage the bayonet pins. As the housing containing these male parts is without rotation moved toward the female connector, the lock ring rotates as the grooves contact the bayonet pins.
An on-board battery supervisor that monitors the state-of-charge (SOC) of a lead-acid vehicle battery and automatically disconnects loads from the battery to prevent over-discharging of the battery, is disclosed. As the battery is being discharged, the on-board battery supervisor disconnects loads at an SOC level that leaves enough energy in the battery to reliably start the vehicle engine, while providing as much energy as possible to accessory loads. The loads are automatically reconnected as the battery is charged. Some preferred embodiments of the invention are designed specifically for use in watercraft and a dual output version of the invention simplifies the electrical system. All embodiments have circuit breaker outputs, high peak current capability, a low quiescent current drain and a dual timer that allows accurate determination of the SOC of the battery.
Method And Apparatus For Synchronous Viewing Of Asynchronous Waveforms
A method and apparatus for sequential multiple trigger event acquisition in a multiple measurement channel oscilloscope arms a first trigger event and responds to the first trigger event by acquiring a first set of data. The process then arms a second trigger event after the first trigger event, the second trigger event having different criteria than the first trigger event, and responds to the second trigger event by acquiring a second set of data. Both sets of data are then presented.
The termination resistor of an electronic apparatus is connected in series with a thermistor PTC switch thermally coupled to the resistor. Excessive power dissipation in the resistor causes the PTC switch to trip, and the increased total resistance limits power dissipation in the resistor to safe levels. The PTC switch and the resistor may be merely in close physical proximity to one another to achieve the thermal coupling. Alternatively, the two may be fabricated as a unit assembly whose form factor is that of, or is similar to that of, the resistor that would otherwise be used by itself.
Supplemental Electrical Connector For Mating Connector Pair
Accordingly, a supplemental electrical connector assembly for transmitting at least one supplemental electrical signal to a supplemental contact pad associated with a mating electrical connector pair may comprise a pin block mounted to a first connector portion of the mating electrical connector pair. A pogo pin assembly having a connector pin positioned at one end and a contact pin positioned at the other end is mounted to the pin block so that the contact pin extends from the front end of the pin block and so that the connector pin extends from the rear end of the pin block. A printed wiring board attached to the first connector portion of the mating electrical connector pair engages the connector pin on the pogo pin assembly.
A first current source supplies current to the collector of an emitter follower stage and a sense transistor. The sense transistor programs a current mirror so that most of the base current required by the emitter follower transistor comes from the current mirror instead of the input. A second current source that requires more current that the first current source supplies is connected to the output of the emitter follower and sinks the current coming out of the emitter of the emitter follower and the collector current of a load transistor. The load transistor supplies the difference in current between the amount of current supplied by the first current source and the amount sunk by the second current source.