Tek P6860 Compression Probe Adapter

[mbalmer]

Some time ago, I asked a question about whether anyone had made adapters to take the Tektronix P6860 compression probe out to 0.1" header pins so that I could use it with a (then) newly-acquired TLA715 with a TLA7AA4 136-channel timing-and-state module.

These probe cables are available inexpensively on eBay and other surplus equipment sites, presumably because they really aren't useful without having designed the contact footprint onto the board so you can properly probe the lines.

The standard flying-lead cable that was made for the 136-channel mainframe modules (the P6810) is also outrageously expensive on eBay -- at least as much as the empty mainframe, and often 2-3 times the cost of a loaded mainframe itself for a single probe cable. The spread I saw at the time of this post had the least expensive probe head sitting at $375 (used), one more at $599 (also used), and every other probe head being at least $1,600 ranging up to $2,000 (new) -- all for single probe cables.

While a commercial adapter that breaks it out to female header sockets is available, it is also prohibitively expensive for the individual user, and while I assume that some folks may be able to afford them individually, the lack of an adapter's availability for me seemed to highlight that there needed to be something available for people like me who want to use these things without having to spend a fortune.

In doing the design, I tried to make it so that you could use it in differential mode as well as the regular 16-channel mode. The nine individual ground pads (eight pairs of inputs plus CLK) can be tied together using the DIP switch. I'm populating the through-hole pin header spots with stackable wire-wrap sockets, so that you can plug in a male header or female header, and also clip scope probes to the same input lines.

If someone with more experience than me has an issue with the design that they would like to point out, I'd appreciate feedback as I'm a pretty novice designer when it comes to this kind of thing.

I've also had an initial run of boards made so I can test the design, but if anyone on here would like one (or more), please DM me.

(edit: add images. I thought they were attached, when suddenly they weren't.)

[RomDump]

If someone with more experience than me has an issue with the design that they would like to point out, I'd appreciate feedback as I'm a pretty novice designer when it comes to this kind of thing.

Are you sharing the design?  I didn't see a link to any files only some pictures as an attachment.

[mbalmer]

Are you sharing the design?  I didn't see a link to any files only some pictures as an attachment.

Yes, I am sharing the design -- I've put the files up on a GitHub page: https://github.com/mabalmer/tek-p6860-adapter

I had initially wanted to wait until I got the run of boards from JLCPCB to post it, but I figure it can't hurt, especially if someone wants to modify things.