A method of fault detection of a belt or rope includes interconnecting a plurality of cords of the belt or rope, the cords including a plurality of wires, to form a bridge circuit. A fault detection bridge circuit is subjected to a voltage excitation and outputs a voltage which is indicative of the belt or rope damage but remaining insensitive to other environmental noises.

A method of fault detection of a belt or rope includes interconnecting a plurality of cords of the belt or rope, the cords including a plurality of wires, to form a bridge circuit. A fault detection bridge circuit is subjected to a voltage excitation and outputs a voltage which is indicative of the belt or rope damage but remaining insensitive to other environmental noises.

Provided are a single-chip differential free layer push-pull magnetic field sensor bridge and preparation method, the magnetic field sensor bridge comprising: a substrate, a staggered soft magnetic flux concentrator array, and a GMR spin valve or a TMR magnetoresistance sensing unit array having a magnetic sensing axis in an X-direction on the substrate. A soft magnetic flux concentrator comprises sides parallel to an X-axis and a Y-axis, and four corners sequentially labeled as A, B, C and D clockwise from an upper left position. Magnetoresistive sensing units are located at gaps between the soft magnetic flux concentrators. Additionally, the magnetoresistive sensing units corresponding to the A and C corner positions and B and D corner positions of the soft flux concentrators are defined as push magnetoresistive sensing units and pull magnetoresistive sensing units respectively. The push magnetoresistive sensing units are electrically interconnected into one or more push arms, and the pull magnetoresistive sensing units are electrically interconnected into one or more pull arms. The push arms and the pull arms are electrically interconnected to form a push-pull sensor bridge. The present invention has low power consumption, high magnetic field sensitivity, and can measure a magnetic field in the Y-direction.

Provided are a single-chip differential free layer push-pull magnetic field sensor bridge and preparation method, the magnetic field sensor bridge comprising: a substrate, a staggered soft magnetic flux concentrator array, and a GMR spin valve or a TMR magnetoresistance sensing unit array having a magnetic sensing axis in an X-direction on the substrate. A soft magnetic flux concentrator comprises sides parallel to an X-axis and a Y-axis, and four corners sequentially labeled as A, B, C and D clockwise from an upper left position. Magnetoresistive sensing units are located at gaps between the soft magnetic flux concentrators. Additionally, the magnetoresistive sensing units corresponding to the A and C corner positions and B and D corner positions of the soft flux concentrators are defined as push magnetoresistive sensing units and pull magnetoresistive sensing units respectively. The push magnetoresistive sensing units are electrically interconnected into one or more push arms, and the pull magnetoresistive sensing units are electrically interconnected into one or more pull arms. The push arms and the pull arms are electrically interconnected to form a push-pull sensor bridge. The present invention has low power consumption, high magnetic field sensitivity, and can measure a magnetic field in the Y-direction.

Methods and apparatus for a semiconductor strain gauge pressure sensor. An apparatus includes a sense element configured to be exposed to a pressure environment, the sense element including at least one highly doped semiconductor strain gauge, the highly doped semiconductor strain gauge including a five pad single full Wheatstone bridge, an electronics package disposed on a carrier and electrically coupled to the sense element, the carrier disposed on a port that comprises the sense element, a housing disposed about the sense element and electronics package, and a connector joined to the housing and electrically connected to the electronics package, the connector including an external interface.

Methods and apparatus for a semiconductor strain gauge pressure sensor. An apparatus includes a sense element configured to be exposed to a pressure environment, the sense element including at least one highly doped semiconductor strain gauge, the highly doped semiconductor strain gauge including a five pad single full Wheatstone bridge, an electronics package disposed on a carrier and electrically coupled to the sense element, the carrier disposed on a port that comprises the sense element, a housing disposed about the sense element and electronics package, and a connector joined to the housing and electrically connected to the electronics package, the connector including an external interface.

An apparatus for providing security for an integrated circuit (IC) chip is disclosed. The apparatus may include the IC chip, attached to a surface of a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB may include a first, electrically insulative, conformal coating layer attached to the PCB surface and to exposed IC chip surfaces. The PCB may also include a Wheatstone bridge circuit to indicate changes to a second, X-ray opaque, optically opaque and electrically resistive, conformal coating layer. The circuit may include four resistors, formed from second conformal coating layer regions, four sets of electrically conductive pads on the PCB, each set electrically connected to a resistor of the four resistors. The circuit may also include a voltage source, connected to two conductive pads and a monitoring device, connected to another two conductive pads and configured to detect a change of resistance of the Wheatstone bridge.

An apparatus for providing security for an integrated circuit (IC) chip is disclosed. The apparatus may include the IC chip, attached to a surface of a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB may include a first, electrically insulative, conformal coating layer attached to the PCB surface and to exposed IC chip surfaces. The PCB may also include a Wheatstone bridge circuit to indicate changes to a second, X-ray opaque, optically opaque and electrically resistive, conformal coating layer. The circuit may include four resistors, formed from second conformal coating layer regions, four sets of electrically conductive pads on the PCB, each set electrically connected to a resistor of the four resistors. The circuit may also include a voltage source, connected to two conductive pads and a monitoring device, connected to another two conductive pads and configured to detect a change of resistance of the Wheatstone bridge.

Disclosed is a magnetoresistive magnetic field gradient sensor, comprising a substrate, a magnetoresistive bridge and a permanent magnet respectively disposed on the substrate; the magnetoresistive bridge comprises two or more magnetoresistive arms; each magnetoresistive arm consists of one or more magnetoresistive elements; each magnetoresistive element is provided with a magnetic pinning layer; the magnetic pinning layers of all the magnetoresistive elements have the same magnetic moment direction; the permanent magnet is disposed adjacent to each magnetoresistive arm to provide a bias field, and to zero the offset of the response curve of the magnetoresistive element; the magnetoresistive gradiometer includes wire bonding pads that can be electrically interconnected using wire bonding to an ASIC or to the lead frame of a semiconductor chip package.

Disclosed is a magnetoresistive magnetic field gradient sensor, comprising a substrate, a magnetoresistive bridge and a permanent magnet respectively disposed on the substrate; the magnetoresistive bridge comprises two or more magnetoresistive arms; each magnetoresistive arm consists of one or more magnetoresistive elements; each magnetoresistive element is provided with a magnetic pinning layer; the magnetic pinning layers of all the magnetoresistive elements have the same magnetic moment direction; the permanent magnet is disposed adjacent to each magnetoresistive arm to provide a bias field, and to zero the offset of the response curve of the magnetoresistive element; the magnetoresistive gradiometer includes wire bonding pads that can be electrically interconnected using wire bonding to an ASIC or to the lead frame of a semiconductor chip package.