Files
TRIDENT_BASE/README.md
2026-01-30 19:29:19 +01:00

23 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown

![Header Image](docs/images/TRIDENT_BASE_Banner.jpg)
<div align="center">
<img src="docs/images/TRIDENT_BASE_Render.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto";>
</div>
# 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).