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# TRIDENT BASE

### Open Source, High Precision Suspension Platform for the TRIDENT Probe

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.

### Features

- **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

This project received funding through [NGI0 Entrust](https://nlnet.nl/entrust), a fund established by [NLnet](https://nlnet.nl) with financial support from the European Commission's [Next Generation Internet](https://ngi.eu) program. Learn more at the [NLnet project page](https://nlnet.nl/project/Unbinare-RET).