Sourcing the fork terminals used on oscilloscope probe ground leads

[tkamiya]

GENTLEMEN!

Please stop.  Back on topic!

[jh15]

* jh15 throws cold water on the mating dogs.

[tautech]

* jh15 throws cold water on the mating dogs.

Got any magic water to bring back the missing posts ?

[szszoke]

Yes, we heard you. But apparently you did not hear our replies.

It wasn’t a particularly helpful reply. The question wasn’t “how can I connect something”, it was “where do I get this part”. If you don’t know, replying a second time just to insult the OP is truly unnecessary. And you didn’t, and still don’t, know the answer to the OP’s question...

I beg to differ. In my original reply I had cautioned the OP that there is no standard size for the clips, but that they seem to vary by probe brand. Tautech then recommended a source for complete ground leads, for the brand of probes the OP has. When the OP repeated his "I want just the clips", I felt that he had ignored the prior posts.

The "crab foot terminals" the OP then suggested will certainly not work, by the way, as pointed out by Ian.M.

Seems that my reply is gone..

I will try to reconstruct it as much as I can.

I'm sorry if my comment made you feel that I'm ignoring what you have said. It wasn't my intention.

I will try to explain my point of view hoping that it would help.

The same way you thought I ignored the first few replies, I felt that the they did the same with my original question. I felt that I got the typical "it can't be done" answer.

There was also the possibility that despite best intentions, you were wrong.

From my end I can only assume that you are human. Humans are biased, humans make mistakes, just like I am and I do.

At the beginning I was told by two strangers on the internet that something cannot be done the way I want it.

I wasn't ready to believe that and change course of my plans.

I thank you and everyone else for contributing to my question.

Just consider that you and I are different bodies with their own consciousness and whatever confidence you feel about anything you do I have no way of feeling it. Not through writing. Not through a forum that I just joined.

As of now, I am still clinging to the idea that I get what I originally asked for.

[szszoke]

I want them to have a test hook instead of a crocodile clip.

My years old solution was to use grabbers with leads to connect the probe reference lead to and preserve it as intact.
Why would that not suit ?

Full story from 2014 however I'd built these a few years before:

Grabbers
A few ideas to stimulate thought......

This post refers only to low frequency general fault finding and testing. 

While scope hook probes are great, there will be times when they just won't do the job. 

Soldering test wires to the DUT can be OK occasionally, but time consuming and frustrating if there are several POI.
If you are working on SMD, then you must use other methods to connect.

I use Tek grabbers, relatively cheap and versatile, but be mindful of their 40 V max rating.
They seem fine for all the SOIC work I have done. 
They have 25 thou pins and one can easily knock up a selection of leads, with a tinned loop.
Have a rummage through your junk pile for wire with the right connectors, knock the shells off and shrink sleeve. 
To have enough for a 4 Ch scope you would want 5 as a minimum IMO.



And if you have more POI's then you could knock up a little test probe header like this.


This one is from cheap grabbers off eBay, good quality wire and the header from a 10 mm thick mains switchboard off-cut. Each cable is finished in a loop and glued in a hole, and recessed for safety. The hole is large enough to accommodate a scope hook probe or the reference (GND) lead clip.
If I built another, I would use better grabbers and white nylon/plastic for the header to better display the grabber colors that were put on with a Sharpie or highlighter. 

This looks promising if it is what I think it is.

Would I remove the hook attachment of my probes and plug them into that plastic part with the many holes?

[ebastler]

Seems that my reply is gone..
I will try to reconstruct it as much as I can.

Thank you for your comments yesterday, and for taking the time to re-write them!

No offense taken here. Yes, your initial very brief response got under my skin a bit, since I felt you were ignoring the information tautech and I had given and were just digging in your heels. I should have resisted the temptation to come back with an equally brief and somewhat blunt response... Sorry about that; I hope we got it sorted now.

[szszoke]

Seems that my reply is gone..
I will try to reconstruct it as much as I can.

Thank you for your comments yesterday, and for taking the time to re-write them!

No offense taken here. Yes, your initial very brief response got under my skin a bit, since I felt you were ignoring the information tautech and I had given and were just digging in your heels. I should have resisted the temptation to come back with an equally brief and somewhat blunt response... Sorry about that; I hope we got it sorted now.

I think we did! It's a bummer that my original response is gone. I think it captured what I wanted to convey a lot better.

[tautech]

This looks promising if it is what I think it is.

Would I remove the hook attachment of my probes and plug them into that plastic part with the many holes?

Sorry but I'm reluctant to type another reply and hoping Dave can restore my previous detailed reply.
If it doesn't magically reappear I'll see if I can remember all I said.

If you Quote that reply and image you can see the thread from whence it came and then go there and download the image files to enlarge them to see the detail better.

[Cerebus]

Sorry but I'm reluctant to type another reply and hoping Dave can restore my previous detailed reply.
If it doesn't magically reappear I'll see if I can remember all I said.

I'm afraid it won't now. Dave's restored the forum from backup and then let the system roll forward naturally from there, so anything that happened from between when that backup was taken and when Dave fumbled whatever he fumbled to wreck things will have been permanently lost.

[wizard69]

You might try looking in the catalogs of mechanical suppliers to industry.   I mentioned this because Keystones test point jumpers have a very similar form, so a comapny engaged in making such hardware might have something.   Unfortunately I did not find anything like that on Keystones web site.   The gotcha here is that the clips on the test leads is likely some sort of plated spring steel.   The springiness of course to give the clip grip.

I could imagine though that a company like Keystone is making the parts on contract.   Things like these are almost always contracted out to a job shop that will make a 100,000 in a day and go on to the next contact.   This post actually has me wondering about the manufacturing process used, if you really REALLY wanted the clips it might be possible to make a little die to bend the wire into the required form.   You might even be able to make the clips by hand with the pliers jewelry makers use to bend and round wire.

[szszoke]

You might try looking in the catalogs of mechanical suppliers to industry.   I mentioned this because Keystones test point jumpers have a very similar form, so a comapny engaged in making such hardware might have something.   Unfortunately I did not find anything like that on Keystones web site.   The gotcha here is that the clips on the test leads is likely some sort of plated spring steel.   The springiness of course to give the clip grip.

I could imagine though that a company like Keystone is making the parts on contract.   Things like these are almost always contracted out to a job shop that will make a 100,000 in a day and go on to the next contact.   This post actually has me wondering about the manufacturing process used, if you really REALLY wanted the clips it might be possible to make a little die to bend the wire into the required form.   You might even be able to make the clips by hand with the pliers jewelry makers use to bend and round wire.

I also considered making my own to be honest but I was hoping I can just buy them.

[szszoke]

This looks promising if it is what I think it is.

Would I remove the hook attachment of my probes and plug them into that plastic part with the many holes?

Sorry but I'm reluctant to type another reply and hoping Dave can restore my previous detailed reply.
If it doesn't magically reappear I'll see if I can remember all I said.

If you Quote that reply and image you can see the thread from whence it came and then go there and download the image files to enlarge them to see the detail better.

Thanks for the tip, I tried that, found the original post, but the picture quality didn't improve.

Maybe they are "optimized" on the server to reduce disk usage.

[tautech]

This looks promising if it is what I think it is.

Would I remove the hook attachment of my probes and plug them into that plastic part with the many holes?

Sorry but I'm reluctant to type another reply and hoping Dave can restore my previous detailed reply.
If it doesn't magically reappear I'll see if I can remember all I said.

If you Quote that reply and image you can see the thread from whence it came and then go there and download the image files to enlarge them to see the detail better.

Thanks for the tip, I tried that, found the original post, but the picture quality didn't improve.

Maybe they are "optimized" on the server to reduce disk usage.

Ok well done.
I’ll pop up some more detailed pics soon

[tautech]

Grabber solution in more detail.
In a post that was lost I mentioned if I were to make these again instead of fitting grabbers (and these are the cheap and nasty ones that will frustrate the hell out of you by coming unclipped at the slightest movement) I would fit 0.025 female crimps to allow for simple connection to headers or better quality grabbers.

Old image from some years back:


A tinned loop is made on each lead and housed in a recess that offers some safety at higher voltages and helps ward off Murphy yet the recesses are large enough to permit a probe reference lead clip or probe tip hook to make secure contact with each/any loop.


The rear hole is a firm fit to the cable insulation and a tiny drop of epoxy secures each lead in place.


I would terminate each lead to 0.025 female crimps if I was to build another so to allow simple connection to grabbers or headers.

[szszoke]

Grabber solution in more detail.
In a post that was lost I mentioned if I were to make these again instead of fitting grabbers (and these are the cheap and nasty ones that will frustrate the hell out of you by coming unclipped at the slightest movement) I would fit 0.025 female crimps to allow for simple connection to headers or better quality grabbers.

Old image from some years back:


A tinned loop is made on each lead and housed in a recess that offers some safety at higher voltages and helps ward off Murphy yet the recesses are large enough to permit a probe reference lead clip or probe tip hook to make secure contact with each/any loop.


The rear hole is a firm fit to the cable insulation and a tiny drop of epoxy secures each lead in place.


I would terminate each lead to 0.025 female crimps if I was to build another so to allow simple connection to grabbers or headers.

Thanks!

This looks like something that could work for me!

In the meantime, another option that I didn't consider is to find the socket that is inside the hook attechment of the probes and solder them onto wires. Unless they are similarly obtainable as the ground lead clip.

[tautech]

This looks like something that could work for me!

In the meantime, another option that I didn't consider is to find the socket that is inside the hook attechment of the probes and solder them onto wires. Unless they are similarly obtainable as the ground lead clip.

I would expect they are.

Some suitable cheap grabbers:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Goupchn-Mini-Grabber-SMD-IC-Test-Hook-Clip-Jumper-Probe-for-Logical-Analyzer/133521515268

[tooki]

Thanks!

This looks like something that could work for me!

In the meantime, another option that I didn't consider is to find the socket that is inside the hook attechment of the probes and solder them onto wires. Unless they are similarly obtainable as the ground lead clip.

That's a much easier thing! Most scope probes have tips that are around 0.5, 0.8, or 1mm diameter. (0.5mm is usually an optional tip, the default is usually 0.8 or 1mm.) The Rigol probes I have are 1mm thick at the base and step down to about 0.75mm. My Testec probes are 0.8mm diameter.

Anyhow, what you want is the female contacts for D-sub type connectors. Standard D-sub pins (size 20) are 1.02mm diameter, while D-sub HD pins (size 22) are 0.76mm diameter. You can get them as open barrel crimp contacts, machined closed-barrel crimp contacts, solder cup (for size 20), etc. Ordinary female contacts (stamped or "economy" machined) are essentially split cylinders that spread when a pin is inserted. By applying heat shrink tubing to them after attaching the wire, you not only insulate it, but also provide additional tension on the contact.  (There are also more expensive machined sockets that use internal contact baskets. I do not recommend these for this purpose, as you can't reinforce the contact tension, and they cost a lot more anyway.)

I have been making myself various test leads using stamped crimp D-sub HD females, as they have proven to be much more resilient in the long term, and work great on standard (0.64mm) square pins, which is my primary use for them. A $20 AliExpress D-sub crimper (such as SN-01B/-02B D-Sub crimper or other small contact crimper like an IWS-3221) will do the job nicely.

For the machined ones, you can either solder into them, or use an indent crimper (also available on Ali for ~$35).

I've attached a few pix of various contacts that would work. The key is the split-cylinder design that looks kinda like a duck and puts all the contact force right up front, so it'll work even if your probe tip tapers down. I've also added pix showing what a size 22 (HD) female contact looks like when pushed onto the Testec and Rigol probe tips. Even after being slightly overexpanded onto the Rigol, it still holds tight on the Testec.

[Cerebus]

We can do a little better than jury-rigging with crimp connectors, there are BNC adapters made to slip over the ends of scope probes. Make up whatever you want with a BNC (female) on the end, slip an adapter on, and slip the scope probe onto that. If you want grabbers you can find ready made cables with BNC one end and grabbers the other if you don't want to make your own. Pomona make one:



This is still jury rigging in one sense, but has the advantage of maintaining coaxiality and a solid connection to the scope probe ground contact.

Two different adapters, push fit male BNC one side, socket for the scope probe the other:




I've seen them in about 3 different sizes, some from the usual suspects such as KeySight, Tektronix and LeCroy, some from independent connector manufacturers. A search for "scope probe tip bnc adapter" throws up lots.

[szszoke]

Thanks!

This looks like something that could work for me!

In the meantime, another option that I didn't consider is to find the socket that is inside the hook attechment of the probes and solder them onto wires. Unless they are similarly obtainable as the ground lead clip.

That's a much easier thing! Most scope probes have tips that are around 0.5, 0.8, or 1mm diameter. (0.5mm is usually an optional tip, the default is usually 0.8 or 1mm.) The Rigol probes I have are 1mm thick at the base and step down to about 0.75mm. My Testec probes are 0.8mm diameter.

Anyhow, what you want is the female contacts for D-sub type connectors. Standard D-sub pins (size 20) are 1.02mm diameter, while D-sub HD pins (size 22) are 0.76mm diameter. You can get them as open barrel crimp contacts, machined closed-barrel crimp contacts, solder cup (for size 20), etc. Ordinary female contacts (stamped or "economy" machined) are essentially split cylinders that spread when a pin is inserted. By applying heat shrink tubing to them after attaching the wire, you not only insulate it, but also provide additional tension on the contact.  (There are also more expensive machined sockets that use internal contact baskets. I do not recommend these for this purpose, as you can't reinforce the contact tension, and they cost a lot more anyway.)

I have been making myself various test leads using stamped crimp D-sub HD females, as they have proven to be much more resilient in the long term, and work great on standard (0.64mm) square pins, which is my primary use for them. A $20 AliExpress D-sub crimper (such as SN-01B/-02B D-Sub crimper or other small contact crimper like an IWS-3221) will do the job nicely.

For the machined ones, you can either solder into them, or use an indent crimper (also available on Ali for ~$35).

I've attached a few pix of various contacts that would work. The key is the split-cylinder design that looks kinda like a duck and puts all the contact force right up front, so it'll work even if your probe tip tapers down. I've also added pix showing what a size 22 (HD) female contact looks like when pushed onto the Testec and Rigol probe tips. Even after being slightly overexpanded onto the Rigol, it still holds tight on the Testec.

How would you connect the ground lead?

[szszoke]

We can do a little better than jury-rigging with crimp connectors, there are BNC adapters made to slip over the ends of scope probes. Make up whatever you want with a BNC (female) on the end, slip an adapter on, and slip the scope probe onto that. If you want grabbers you can find ready made cables with BNC one end and grabbers the other if you don't want to make your own. Pomona make one:



This is still jury rigging in one sense, but has the advantage of maintaining coaxiality and a solid connection to the scope probe ground contact.

Two different adapters, push fit male BNC one side, socket for the scope probe the other:




I've seen them in about 3 different sizes, some from the usual suspects such as KeySight, Tektronix and LeCroy, some from independent connector manufacturers. A search for "scope probe tip bnc adapter" throws up lots.

Thank! I didn't think of this but it looks like a good option as well.

I already have a set of probes with these adapters included.

I just need to get a female BNC connector.

[tooki]

Thanks!

This looks like something that could work for me!

In the meantime, another option that I didn't consider is to find the socket that is inside the hook attechment of the probes and solder them onto wires. Unless they are similarly obtainable as the ground lead clip.

That's a much easier thing! Most scope probes have tips that are around 0.5, 0.8, or 1mm diameter. (0.5mm is usually an optional tip, the default is usually 0.8 or 1mm.) The Rigol probes I have are 1mm thick at the base and step down to about 0.75mm. My Testec probes are 0.8mm diameter.

Anyhow, what you want is the female contacts for D-sub type connectors. Standard D-sub pins (size 20) are 1.02mm diameter, while D-sub HD pins (size 22) are 0.76mm diameter. You can get them as open barrel crimp contacts, machined closed-barrel crimp contacts, solder cup (for size 20), etc. Ordinary female contacts (stamped or "economy" machined) are essentially split cylinders that spread when a pin is inserted. By applying heat shrink tubing to them after attaching the wire, you not only insulate it, but also provide additional tension on the contact.  (There are also more expensive machined sockets that use internal contact baskets. I do not recommend these for this purpose, as you can't reinforce the contact tension, and they cost a lot more anyway.)

I have been making myself various test leads using stamped crimp D-sub HD females, as they have proven to be much more resilient in the long term, and work great on standard (0.64mm) square pins, which is my primary use for them. A $20 AliExpress D-sub crimper (such as SN-01B/-02B D-Sub crimper or other small contact crimper like an IWS-3221) will do the job nicely.

For the machined ones, you can either solder into them, or use an indent crimper (also available on Ali for ~$35).

I've attached a few pix of various contacts that would work. The key is the split-cylinder design that looks kinda like a duck and puts all the contact force right up front, so it'll work even if your probe tip tapers down. I've also added pix showing what a size 22 (HD) female contact looks like when pushed onto the Testec and Rigol probe tips. Even after being slightly overexpanded onto the Rigol, it still holds tight on the Testec.

How would you connect the ground lead?

However you want. The original hook attachments don’t deal with the ground lead, either, remember?

[szszoke]

Thanks!

This looks like something that could work for me!

In the meantime, another option that I didn't consider is to find the socket that is inside the hook attechment of the probes and solder them onto wires. Unless they are similarly obtainable as the ground lead clip.

That's a much easier thing! Most scope probes have tips that are around 0.5, 0.8, or 1mm diameter. (0.5mm is usually an optional tip, the default is usually 0.8 or 1mm.) The Rigol probes I have are 1mm thick at the base and step down to about 0.75mm. My Testec probes are 0.8mm diameter.

Anyhow, what you want is the female contacts for D-sub type connectors. Standard D-sub pins (size 20) are 1.02mm diameter, while D-sub HD pins (size 22) are 0.76mm diameter. You can get them as open barrel crimp contacts, machined closed-barrel crimp contacts, solder cup (for size 20), etc. Ordinary female contacts (stamped or "economy" machined) are essentially split cylinders that spread when a pin is inserted. By applying heat shrink tubing to them after attaching the wire, you not only insulate it, but also provide additional tension on the contact.  (There are also more expensive machined sockets that use internal contact baskets. I do not recommend these for this purpose, as you can't reinforce the contact tension, and they cost a lot more anyway.)

I have been making myself various test leads using stamped crimp D-sub HD females, as they have proven to be much more resilient in the long term, and work great on standard (0.64mm) square pins, which is my primary use for them. A $20 AliExpress D-sub crimper (such as SN-01B/-02B D-Sub crimper or other small contact crimper like an IWS-3221) will do the job nicely.

For the machined ones, you can either solder into them, or use an indent crimper (also available on Ali for ~$35).

I've attached a few pix of various contacts that would work. The key is the split-cylinder design that looks kinda like a duck and puts all the contact force right up front, so it'll work even if your probe tip tapers down. I've also added pix showing what a size 22 (HD) female contact looks like when pushed onto the Testec and Rigol probe tips. Even after being slightly overexpanded onto the Rigol, it still holds tight on the Testec.

How would you connect the ground lead?

However you want. The original hook attachments don’t deal with the ground lead, either, remember?

But that is kind of the whole point with my question. I already have a hook attachment for the tip. I wanted one for the ground lead as well.

[tooki]

Thanks!

This looks like something that could work for me!

In the meantime, another option that I didn't consider is to find the socket that is inside the hook attechment of the probes and solder them onto wires. Unless they are similarly obtainable as the ground lead clip.

That's a much easier thing! Most scope probes have tips that are around 0.5, 0.8, or 1mm diameter. (0.5mm is usually an optional tip, the default is usually 0.8 or 1mm.) The Rigol probes I have are 1mm thick at the base and step down to about 0.75mm. My Testec probes are 0.8mm diameter.

Anyhow, what you want is the female contacts for D-sub type connectors. Standard D-sub pins (size 20) are 1.02mm diameter, while D-sub HD pins (size 22) are 0.76mm diameter. You can get them as open barrel crimp contacts, machined closed-barrel crimp contacts, solder cup (for size 20), etc. Ordinary female contacts (stamped or "economy" machined) are essentially split cylinders that spread when a pin is inserted. By applying heat shrink tubing to them after attaching the wire, you not only insulate it, but also provide additional tension on the contact.  (There are also more expensive machined sockets that use internal contact baskets. I do not recommend these for this purpose, as you can't reinforce the contact tension, and they cost a lot more anyway.)

I have been making myself various test leads using stamped crimp D-sub HD females, as they have proven to be much more resilient in the long term, and work great on standard (0.64mm) square pins, which is my primary use for them. A $20 AliExpress D-sub crimper (such as SN-01B/-02B D-Sub crimper or other small contact crimper like an IWS-3221) will do the job nicely.

For the machined ones, you can either solder into them, or use an indent crimper (also available on Ali for ~$35).

I've attached a few pix of various contacts that would work. The key is the split-cylinder design that looks kinda like a duck and puts all the contact force right up front, so it'll work even if your probe tip tapers down. I've also added pix showing what a size 22 (HD) female contact looks like when pushed onto the Testec and Rigol probe tips. Even after being slightly overexpanded onto the Rigol, it still holds tight on the Testec.

How would you connect the ground lead?

However you want. The original hook attachments don’t deal with the ground lead, either, remember?

But that is kind of the whole point with my question. I already have a hook attachment for the tip. I wanted one for the ground lead as well.

Then why did you ask for a source for the hook attachment connector?!? 

[2N3055]

https://www.tme.eu/hr/en/details/pcm-w3-gnd/accessories-for-oscilloscopes-others/parrot-invent/parrot-pcm-w3-osciloscope-ground-red/

[Cerebus]

Thanks!

This looks like something that could work for me!

In the meantime, another option that I didn't consider is to find the socket that is inside the hook attechment of the probes and solder them onto wires. Unless they are similarly obtainable as the ground lead clip.

That's a much easier thing! Most scope probes have tips that are around 0.5, 0.8, or 1mm diameter. (0.5mm is usually an optional tip, the default is usually 0.8 or 1mm.) The Rigol probes I have are 1mm thick at the base and step down to about 0.75mm. My Testec probes are 0.8mm diameter.

Anyhow, what you want is the female contacts for D-sub type connectors. Standard D-sub pins (size 20) are 1.02mm diameter, while D-sub HD pins (size 22) are 0.76mm diameter. You can get them as open barrel crimp contacts, machined closed-barrel crimp contacts, solder cup (for size 20), etc. Ordinary female contacts (stamped or "economy" machined) are essentially split cylinders that spread when a pin is inserted. By applying heat shrink tubing to them after attaching the wire, you not only insulate it, but also provide additional tension on the contact.  (There are also more expensive machined sockets that use internal contact baskets. I do not recommend these for this purpose, as you can't reinforce the contact tension, and they cost a lot more anyway.)

I have been making myself various test leads using stamped crimp D-sub HD females, as they have proven to be much more resilient in the long term, and work great on standard (0.64mm) square pins, which is my primary use for them. A $20 AliExpress D-sub crimper (such as SN-01B/-02B D-Sub crimper or other small contact crimper like an IWS-3221) will do the job nicely.

For the machined ones, you can either solder into them, or use an indent crimper (also available on Ali for ~$35).

I've attached a few pix of various contacts that would work. The key is the split-cylinder design that looks kinda like a duck and puts all the contact force right up front, so it'll work even if your probe tip tapers down. I've also added pix showing what a size 22 (HD) female contact looks like when pushed onto the Testec and Rigol probe tips. Even after being slightly overexpanded onto the Rigol, it still holds tight on the Testec.

How would you connect the ground lead?

However you want. The original hook attachments don’t deal with the ground lead, either, remember?

But that is kind of the whole point with my question. I already have a hook attachment for the tip. I wanted one for the ground lead as well.

Then why did you ask for a source for the hook attachment connector?!? 

He didn't. You were too busy stoking up an argument with ebastler that you just got it plain arse-backwards.