diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 0ce4fd8..61c28fb 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -8,13 +8,15 @@ ### Open Source, High Precision Suspension Platform for the TRIDENT Probe -The TRIDENT BASE is a hand-formable SMA-connector cable assembly that simultaneously suspends the TRIDENT spring-loaded UHF probe and provides a robust mechanical interface to the device under test. Its design, fabricated at the current limits of modern high-frequency manufacturing, incorporates a continuous copper chassis that is directly connected to the board and tied to ground. +The TRIDENT BASE is a hardware platform that mechanically suspends a spring-loaded UHF probe while furnishing a robust electrical interface to the device under test. Its design, fabricated at the current limits of modern high-frequency manufacturing, combines a unified grounding scheme, magnetic clamping, and open-hardware licensing to support reproducible, high-performance measurement setups for research and engineering applications. -The copper enclosure serves a dual purpose: it furnishes a low-impedance return path that preserves signal integrity up to multi-gigahertz frequencies, it acts as an electromagnetic shielding cage that isolates the probe from ambient interference. The copper chassis of the base mirrors the probe's shielding strategy, ensuring that both ground references share a common, low-inductance plane, thereby minimizing parasitic coupling and enhancing measurement repeatability. +### Features -The neodymium magnets affixed to the base generate a constant attractive force that clamps the assembly to a metal surface, thereby suppressing both translational and vibrational motion of the probe during testing. - -All design files are released under the CERN Open Hardware Licence (CERN-OHL-S), permitting unrestricted modification, redistribution, and collaborative improvement, fostering a transparent ecosystem for researchers and engineers who require reproducible, high-performance test instrumentation. +- **Hand-formable SMA cable assembly**: Provides a flexible SMA-to-SMA link that both suspends the probe and creates a sturdy mechanical connection to the DUT. +- **Unified copper chassis**: A continuous copper enclosure bonded to the board and tied to ground establishes a low-impedance return path and a shared ground plane for the probe and base, improving signal repeatability. +- **Dual-function enclosure**: Acts simultaneously as a low-impedance return network (preserving signal integrity across a broad frequency range) and as an electromagnetic shield that isolates the probe from ambient interference. +- **Magnetic clamping**: Integrated neodymium magnets generate a constant attractive force, securing the assembly to any metal surface and suppressing translational and vibrational motion during testing. +- **Open-hardware licensing**: All design files are released under the CERN Open Hardware Licence (CERN-OHL-S), permitting unrestricted modification, redistribution, and collaborative improvement, thereby fostering a transparent ecosystem for researchers and engineers. ### Funding