Automated drawing tool and method for drawing a sensor layout

Abstract

An automated drawing tool and a method for drawing a sensor layout. A sensor is drawn by selecting a sensor family, each sensor of the sensor family having at least one drive element to impose a magnetic field in a test material when driven by an electric signal, and at least one sense element for sensing a response of the test material. A set of layout rules are associated with the sensor family and are used in determining a sensor-layout. The automated drawing tool processes input information and the layout rules, for the sensor family, to automatically draw the sensor.

1 . An automated drawing tool for sensors, the sensors comprising at least one extended portion and at least one sensing element, the tool taking input information for dimensions and automatically drawing the sensor layout and leads based on predetermined rules for a specific family of sensor designs.  
   
   
       2 . A method for drawing a sensor comprising: 
 selecting a sensor family, each sensor of the sensor family having at least one drive element to impose a magnetic field in a test material when driven by an electric signal, and at least one sense element for sensing a response of the test material, the family having layout rules associated with determining a sensor layout;    inputting information; and    processing the layout rules for the sensor family and input information to automatically draw the sensor.    
   
   
       3 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the at least one drive element is linear.  
   
   
       4 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein a plurality of sense elements are positioned parallel to the at least one drive element.  
   
   
       5 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the sensor layout specifies the number of sense elements.  
   
   
       6 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the input information specifies the number of the drive elements.  
   
   
       7 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the input information comprises at least one dimension.  
   
   
       8 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the sensor layout comprises a specified distance between drive elements.  
   
   
       9 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the sensor layout comprises a specified distance from a sense element to a drive element.  
   
   
       10 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the sensor layout comprises a specified size of a sense element.  
   
   
       11 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the sensor further comprises leads to a drive element and each sense element.  
   
   
       12 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the sensor layout comprises a specified orientation of the leads.  
   
   
       13 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the sensor layout comprises a specified size and location of cross-connected leads adjacent to leads to each sense element.  
   
   
       14 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the sensor layout comprises a specified layer for each drive element and sense element.  
   
   
       15 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of sense elements are equally spaced and forms a one-dimensional array.  
   
   
       16 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of sense elements forms a two-dimensional array of elements.