The TRIDENT is a compact, high frequency probe engineered for exacting PCB diagnostics. Housed within a 44mm tall, copper chassis that is grounded and soldered directly to the PCB, delivering a low-impedance return path that preserves signal integrity well into the multi-gigahertz range. Its trineedle architecture comprises two outer, spring-loaded ground contacts that engage the board's ground pours, establishing a stable reference plane, and a central needle that mates precisely with the stripline under test for consistent signal coupling.

Designed at the forefront of current fabrication capabilities, the TRIDENT's PCB employs the finest tolerances and material selections available to achieve minimal parasitic inductance and optimal high-frequency performance. The entire hardware design is released under the CERN Open Hardware Licence (CERN-OHL-S), allowing unrestricted modification, redistribution, and collaborative improvement by the community.

Because the probe integrates seamlessly with standard peripherals and requires no proprietary components, engineers can rapidly prototype, validate, and iterate high-speed designs while benefiting from the transparency and extensibility of an open source hardware platform.

Funding

This project received funding through NGI0 Entrust, a fund established by NLnet with financial support from the European Commission's Next Generation Internet program. Learn more at the NLnet project page.