An oscilloscope probe test fixture provides separate clamps for pressing
each probe tip against a location along a transmission line. Multiple
adjacent clamps may share a common axle. One clamp is positioned over a
ground plane that adjoins the center conductor of a strip transmission
line, while another is positioned over that center conductor. Each
individual clamp has a respective compression spring on one side of the
axle to produce clamping on the other, and the lengths from the axle to
the springs act as a respective thumb lever that allows each clamp to be
opened to receive a probe tip. The length from the axle to the spring is
significantly longer than that from the axle to the actual clamping
surface (foot) to provide increased clamping force. The foot of each
clamp is mostly under the axle, while their thumb lever portions extend
parallel to a substrate that carries the strip transmission line,
allowing the location of the clamping to be close to the driven end of
the test fixture. The transmission line may be internally terminated or
terminated externally through an RF connector.