Agilent Technologies 85050B, User'S And Service Manual

Page: 26 / 56

85050B
Use, Maintenance, and Care of the Devices
Gaging Connectors
3- 6
Gaging Connectors
The gages available from Agilent Technologies are intended for preventive maintenance and
troubleshooting purposes only. See
Table 6-1 on page 6-2 for part number information. They are
effective in detecting excessive center conductor protrusion or recession, and conductor damage on
DUTs, test accessories, and the calibration kit devices.
Do not use the gages for precise pin depth
measurements.
Connector Gage Accuracy
The connector gages are only capable of performing coarse measurements. They do not provide the
degree of accuracy necessary to precisely measure the pin depth of the kit devices. This is partially
due to the repeatability uncertainties that are associated with the measurement. Only the
factory—through special gaging processes and electrical testing— can accurately verify the
mechanical characteristics of the devices.
With proper technique, the gages are useful in detecting gross pin depth errors on device
connectors. To achieve maximum accuracy, random errors must be reduced by taking the average of
at least three measurements having different gage orientations on the connector. Even the
resultant average can be in error by as much as
±
0.0001 inch due to systematic (biasing) errors
usually resulting from worn gages and gage masters. As the gages undergo more use, the
systematic errors can become more significant in the accuracy of the measurement.
When to Gage Connectors
Gage a connector at the following times:
•
Prior to using a device for the first time: record the pin depth measurement so that it can be
compared with future readings. It will serve as a good troubleshooting tool when you suspect
damage may have occurred to the device.
NOTE When measuring pin depth, the measured value (resultant average of three or more
measurements) contains measurement uncertainty and is not necessarily the true
value. Always compare the measured value with the observed pin depth limits (which
account for measurement uncertainties) in
Table 2-2 on page 2-5 to evaluate the
condition of device connectors.
•
If either visual inspection or electrical performance suggests that the connector interface may be
out of typical range (due to wear or damage, for example).
• If a calibration device is used by someone else or on another system or piece of equipment.
• Initially after every 100 connections, and after that as often as experience indicates.