Meandering winding test circuit

• US 5,793,206 A
• Filed: 08/23/1996
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jentek Sensors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jentek Sensors, Inc.
• Inventors: Goldfine, Neil J., Clark, David C., Eckhardt, Homer D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Strecker, Gerard R.
• Application Number:
  US08/702,276
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 324/202, 324/207.17-207.19, 324/207.26, 324/225, 324/227, 324/229-233, 324/239-243, 324/262, 336/200, 336/206, 336/223, 336/232, 340/870.32
• US Class Current: 324/242
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/16 for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. by resistance strain gauge
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/34 for measuring roughness or irregularity of surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/82 for investigating the presence of flaws

Abstract

A meandering winding magnetometer (MWM) includes a meandering primary winding and at least one sensing winding or coil on a membrane to be pressed against a test surface. The membrane may be supported on a flexible carrier which is translatable into a probe. Abutments in the probe press the carrier against the test surface but allow the carrier and membrane to conform to the test surface. One MWM circuit includes meandering primary and secondary windings. The return leads from the secondary winding return to connector pads in close alignment with the test array, while leads from the primary winding are spaced at least one wavelength from the array. In another MWM circuit, individual sensing loops are positioned within the meandering primary winding. The MWM circuit may be provided on an adhesive tape which may be cut to length.

Claims

1. A test circuit comprising:

a meandering primary winding having extended portions for imposing a spatially periodic magnetic field of at least two spatial wavelengths in a test substrate; and

a sensing winding array of sensing elements, with a sensing element positioned every half wavelength of at least two spatial wavelengths between respective adjacent extended portions of the primary winding for sensing response of the test substrate to the imposed magnetic field, the sensing elements including an individual sensing coil at least every other half wavelength, each individual sensing coil having separate output connectors.

2. A test circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the primary winding comprises connecting portions connecting adjacent extended portions and each of the plurality of individual sensing coils is displaced at least one spatial wavelength from the connecting portions.

3. A test circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein a single loop sensing coil is positioned between each pair of adjacent extended portions of the primary winding.

4. A test circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein a meandering sensing winding is positioned to one side of the primary winding and single loop sensor coils are positioned to the other side of the primary winding.

5. A test circuit as claimed in claim 1 mounted to a tape adapted to be cut at selected increments of the spatial wavelengths.

6. A test circuit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the membrane includes an adhesive on a surface thereof for bonding the circuit to a test substrate.

7. A test circuit as claimed in claim 5 further comprising bonding pads to the meandering primary winding and sensing coils along the length of the tape.

8. A test circuit as claimed in claim 7 further comprising supplemental bonding pads along the length of the tape.

9. A test circuit as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a shield in a plane parallel to the primary winding covering the primary winding in regions outside a sensing region of the sensing coils, the sensing region being uncovered.

10. A test circuit as claimed in claim 1 comprising first and second meandering primary windings with respective sensing coils, the windings being displaced one-quarter spatial wavelength from each other.

11. A test circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein plural sensing elements are located in each half wavelength region.

12. A test circuit comprising:

a meandering primary winding having extended portions for imposing a spatially periodic magnetic field in a test substrate;

a meandering sensing winding including extended portions positioned between extended portions of the meandering primary winding to one side of the primary winding for sensing response of the test substrate to the imposed magnetic field; and

single loop sensor coils positioned between extended portions of the meandering primary winding to the other side of the primary winding for sensing response of the test substrate to the imposed magnetic field.