Importance

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Abstract

A mechanical fixture for providing a rigid connection between a multi conductor cable or other connecting hardware and measurement equipment is disclosed. The fixture includes a test head consisting of a plurality of unbalanced ports which are contained in a generally circular area whose diameter is close to that of the cable to be tested. As a result, fan out of the conductors at the point where they connect to the ports in the test head, which can corrupt measured data, is minimized. The test head is rigidly connectable to a network analyzer, preferably by the use of a removable 'snap' connection. Additional ports on the test head can be provided for use during a calibration process. An electrical cap is provided for holding the conductor ends in place. The cap mates with the test head to rigidly connect the conductor to the measurement ports while retaining the 'fanned out' portion of the cable in a rigid and known configuration. A slidable shield is provided which extends from within the test head and serves to electrically isolate the individual pairs of conductors in the fan-out region of the cable from each other. The rigid mechanical connections between the DUT and the measurement equipment advantageously provides the low noise floor and reproducibility needed to achieve precise test results.

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First Claim